We're Having a Heat Wave

 

by Jennifer Burcke

We're having a heat wave and the animals (and farmers) living at 1840 Farm are not amused. Come on Mother Nature, we chose to relocate more than 1,400 miles away from our original home in Kansas to our farm in New England because we wanted to avoid days of 100 degree heat and seemingly 90% humidity. We expected harsh, cold winters that stretched for months without an end in sight. We didn't sign on for summers the likes of those we had chosen to leave behind.

Apparently Mother Nature has not been moved by our family's relocation. Her unyielding heat and humidity have found their way here and we've been stuck right in the midst of it this week. The thermometer in the greenhouse has been over its limit of 120 degrees so often that the UV greenhouse film has actually split right down the middle in an apparent attempt to make an emergency skylight and allow some of the smoldering heat to escape.

I was not too happy to find that the greenhouse was damaged with the intense heat and humidity. I knew that I wouldn't have time to fix it immediately, despite the fact that our beloved heirloom tomato crop is living within its walls. The greenhouse is important to our family's annual harvest, but the tomato plants will make it until next week, when the temperatures will cool off (we hope). Now's the time to focus on trying to keep all of the animals living here at 1840 Farm from succumbing to the heat.

Unfortunately, I had no idea how to accomplish this necessary task. If I rewind our farm calendar 12 months, I see a farm without any livestock residing there. We had not yet become livestock farmers. We had no chickens living here. In fact, we were finishing up the coop that they would eventually reside in.

I decided to start with the easiest animal to tend to first. The dog was simple. Pete got a summer haircut and spent very little time outside. He was quite happy to oblige and spent most of his time in the farmhouse, avoiding the intense heat and humidity right outside the door. Yes, he missed his usual time playing ball in the backyard and chasing wildlife to the boundaries of his fence, but even he didn't want to be out in this heat. He flopped onto his bed, selected a favorite chew toy and waited for the heat to subside just like the rest of us.

Herbert, the French Angora Rabbit, was struggling. Angora fiber is rated to be at least seven times warmer than sheep's wool, and he is covered from head to toe in its thick blanket. We had already harvested what fiber we could to help him stay cool this summer. We took him frozen bottles of water every few hours to give him a chance to lay against them and cool off. It became clear on the second day of the heat wave that it wasn't enough. He was panting and begging for a little relief. Five minutes later, he and his hutch had been transferred from the barn to the garage, where it was only 80 degrees. It was just the relief he needed. He stretched out and took a nap, content with the fact that he had escaped the heat. I took a deep breath, happy with the knowledge that two of our animals were safe from the heat.

I was still at a loss where the chickens were concerned. They were spending most of their time in the shady portion of their outdoor run. We were providing them with fresh, cool water a few times a day and misting their run with water from the rain barrels to allow them to cool off in the mud. We fed them chunks of cold watermelon that they enjoyed, as usual. They were enjoying the relief, but it wasn't nearly enough. Clearly, we were going to have to come up with another way to cool them off.

Our Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats were showing signs of growing up in New England rather than Nigeria. They were panting and spending the bulk of their time in their stall, eating hay. It wasn't too difficult to give them the same treatment that our dog, Pete, received. Out came the clippers and in under 30 minutes, I had removed enough hair to give them a little relief. They were noticeably more comfortable as soon as their haircuts were complete. I was confident that with ample cold water and a little extra attention, they would be able to endure the next few days.

All of the four-legged creatures had been taken care of. They were happy to be a little cooler and we were happy that they were better equipped to cope with the heat. There was only one problem: What was I going to do to give our beloved hens a little relief? I couldn't give them a haircut or move their stationary coop into the garage. I had already ventilated the coop as best I could. Short of installing an air conditioner, I didn't have any tricks up my sleeve to reduce the temperature for our flock.

I took another round of cool water out to the coop and surveyed their condition. The hens were clearly struggling to cope with the heat. The temperature inside the coop had reached 105 degrees. They were standing outside, mouths open, doing the best they could to survive. It was only mid-afternoon and the heat wasn't expected to recede for another 48 hours. I worried that they wouldn't be able to make it that long.

I went back into the house and went straight to the refrigerator. I had more cold fruit, but that had only provided temporary relief. I needed something more powerful. It was time to look in the freezer. The answer was staring me right in the face: fruit Popsicles. I removed the Popsicle stick and cut them into small bites with a paring knife. Then I added a few handfuls of frozen blueberries for good measure. I took the dish out to the chickens' run and hoped that they wouldn't be hesitant to try my frozen concoction.

I should have known better. As soon as the pieces hit the bowl, they were clambering for a prime spot to grab a bite. A few minutes later, the Popsicles and blueberries were long gone and the chickens were looking for more. Even better, they were looking like themselves again. They were up and walking around, scratching at the ground and going about the normal business of their chicken day. I had spent the better part of two days trying to cool them off from the outside. Clearly, cooling them off from the inside had been a better way to solve the problem.

What a relief, for me and for the flock. I have already gone on record with my belief that chickens are a lot like toddlers. Apparently, I need to add a love of Popsicles on a hot summer day to my running list of supporting documentation.

For the next two days, we provided our chickens with frozen treats every few hours. They continued to enjoy fruit-flavored Popsicles and frozen berries. Frozen yogurt tubes were also added to the rotation. They happily gobbled up every frozen bite that we provided them. We happily watched as they not only enjoyed the cold refreshments, but seemed unfazed by the intense heat. While there was nothing I could do to reduce the temperature on the thermometer in their coop, I had found a way to reduce their internal temperature.

I am happy to report that the temperatures have finally returned to normal summer levels in New England. The forecast for this week promises temperatures almost 20 degrees cooler than last week. I am relieved and I know that all of the animals living here will be too. The chickens have returned to their daily routine of scratching about in their yard and enjoying the sights and sounds of the farm. Each time I walk by, they anxiously gather at their bowl in the hope that I am bringing them a frozen treat to enjoy.

I have added Popsicles, yogurt tubes and frozen berries to my running grocery list. I can imagine that I will begin taking the hens a cold treat when I am rounding up a frozen yogurt tube for my children at snack time each afternoon. I know that I could reserve the treats for the hottest of summer days, but I just don't see the point. If something as simple as a Popsicle or frozen yogurt can improve their day, then I am more than happy to oblige.

I know that it won't be long until these hot summer days are a distant memory and winter's chill will greet us every morning as we make our way out to the coop. Then I'll spend my time dreaming up ways to help our hens stay warm as the temperatures on their coop thermometer drop. I'll have my experience from last winter to draw inspiration from and home cooked oatmeal in my arsenal. Until then, you can find me on afternoon Popsicle duty.

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