Good Luck

[Hen-Gen]

Good luck all of you who are in the path of the hot air moving up from Southern Europe. Heed the government recommendations.

 

[LadyA]

It must be awful. Here, they're forecasting up to possibly 30C, but nowhere near what's forecast for Britain. Where I am though, today was a lovely, balmy day. About 21C, with a stiff breeze.

Sent from my SM-A415F using Tapatalk

 

[Marigold]

I see the Met Office has moved us up from 34C to 35C overnight.
Daughter is moving house today.

 

[Margaid]

Poor thing, but it's probably better than heavy rain or snow.
36 C forecast for here today on the Met Office site. Our concert tonight has had to move to the church as the air-con in the fairly new village hall isn't working!!!
I can keep cool enough but I worry about my elderly black cat - the others are OK

 

[MrsBiscuit]

We had the hottest reading ever on Weds at our local weather station - 42.2, which is about 4 degrees less than the national hotspots. We have had a week of 40 plus and all you can do is loll about after doing essential things before about 10am, so I do feel sorry for your daughter Marigold. As far as the cats are concerned, we have 3 but they are all young. One spent most of the time inside (with us and a fan). The other 2, more feral, spent all day every day outside, in as much shade as they could find, just not moving. I expect your elderly cat will go wherever he/she feels most comfortable, and barely move or eat/drink, and fingers crossed he/she is OK. A friend sent me an indignant text earlier about the advice to wrap up a frozen water container in a towel for the cat to lie on, she asks whether the advice giver has ever owned a cat! On the plus side, for us, we have 2 cooler days now (early 30s), then a couple of high 30s, then mid 30s. We can all really feel the difference today, once you've lived through the worst of the heat, you feel you can do anything.

 

[Marigold]

Oh dear, Mrs B, I’ve been wondering how you’ve been getting on. Not sure really where you live?
I liked this poem today.

 

[MrsBiscuit]

We are in central Portugal, about half way down and 50km from Spain. The nearest city is Castelo Branco. If you ask someone from the South they will say we live in the North (or they won't have heard of CB!)

 

[bigyetiman]

Hope your daughters move goes ok, in this weather. Thermometer in the shade is registering 38C.

Hens have plenty of iced water, and froze some melon. They seem ok, run area in shade now as is one coop which is helping a little.

It may be hot but the starlings are still squabbling by the feeder

 

[dianefairhall]

Starlings are always squabbling by the feeder! No heatwave here yet, don't want one, so we're all doing OK as normal. So, yes, best wishes for those in the steamy south.

 

[bigyetiman]

39C here at the moment. Huge grass fire by the M25 has spread to a local farmers fields, and we are surrounded by thick smoke.

 

[Marigold]

Are you still driving around in your bus, BYM? Must be hell.
Daughter living near Lichfield, north of Birmingham, has just sent photo of their weather station reading of 40.2C. which is just over 100F.
I’m trying to do my best for the hens with iced water etc but we’re up to 32.5 and met office predicts we shall get up to 35C by teatime. Full shade just coming over the whole run, but a bit late to help really.
We have two older ones and three youngsters. They’ve been together for two weeks now.
Both of the older ones are still determined to reduce the newbies to their properly subservient place, especially the biggest older one who is still being really fierce to the new ones, ie pinning them down on the ground and pecking repeatedly. Nothing I can do about it, that’s just chickens sorting out their flock structure. Trouble is, it keeps them all wasting energy in the heat, running around chasing or being chased.
Non-chicken-keeping daughter suggests bringing them in to my kitchen to cool off.
She must be joking! They’re all good flyers!
And that’s not all they’re good at ….
Would make a great video, though.

 

[bigyetiman]

Most of our buses have pretty good air conditioning as most are reasonably new so it still works

Ruth took a pic of some of the hens eating iced apple and pears and it is on the BBC website under the how to keep pets cool. That should give them ideas above their station. They have coped quite well with lots of iced water and frozen melon, it was 39C by the runs at one point, we have a hot wind as well.

I remember the night the run flooded after a thunderstorm and the hens moved into the bathroom. They didn't bother to clean up after themselves

 

[Marigold]

And here it is, folks! Lucky hens!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62222505



Ruth Barnes from Essex keeps her hens cool with frozen melons, apples and pears in ice.

 

[dianefairhall]

You'll all have to come up here for a bit. 15C and overcast. Outer Hebs.

 

[bigyetiman]

The 9 who were round the corner with melon are most upset at not being on the news.

Hope they don't want to bathe in champagne after this moment of fame

 

[Marigold]

Does it help them to be sprinkled, either with water or champagne? I was wondering whether to get the hose out today but feared it might just produce more panic and racing around.
15C sounds wonderful HenGen. Still 28 out and 26 in here.

 

[dianefairhall]

We've only got the lovely Izzie now but we're at normal weather here. 15 deg C. She's fine because the cats visit her and so do we.

 

[Marigold]

 

[Marigold]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/62220694
See the last clip from Lerwick, Shetland, yesterday - people all wrapped up warm in raincoats, and moaning they haven’t had a proper summer.
Anyone you know, HenGen?