summer
summer at Alektorophobia is a file of 4 stories. The newest of them: “Egg-cellent Summer: Keeping Your Chicken Eggs Cool & Cluck-tastic”, “Tammy's gone and our coop feels two eggs lighter this season.”, and “Sweetpea's summer farewell is the cluck-ingest heartbreak yet.”. Summer heat has a way of making even the calmest chicken keeper sweat, but nothing throws a barnyard curveball quite like a warm egg straight from the nest. There's a special kind of quiet that settles over a coop when one of your feathered friends is suddenly missing from the pecking order. Chickens. Everything there is to know about chickens and the fear of them. The list below is every summer story on Alektorophobia, newest first.
Egg-cellent Summer: Keeping Your Chicken Eggs Cool & Cluck-tastic
Summer heat has a way of making even the calmest chicken keeper sweat, but nothing throws a barnyard curveball quite like a warm egg straight from the nest. Yikes, right? We love our feathered friends, but nobody loves a runny yolk that's been sitting in the sun. That's why we're clucking about keeping things cool and collected this season. A little shade, a splash of fresh water, and maybe a frozen treat or two can turn a scorching afternoon into a proper peck-icnic. And if you're new to the flock, don't worry; we've all been there, chasing our tails and learning the ropes. Speaking of adventures, our pals over at "Chickens Got Her Good!
Tammy's gone and our coop feels two eggs lighter this season.
There's a special kind of quiet that settles over a coop when one of your feathered friends is suddenly missing from the pecking order. Tammy was a Cream Legbar, and she left us this summer, leaving behind two bewildered companions who seem to be waiting for her to strut back around the corner. We're raising a cluck-tastic mug to her memory, because losing a hen is never just about the eggs. It's a fowl blow, but we're taking comfort in the silly antics of the pair she left behind. For more heartwarming and slightly chaotic poultry tales, check out "Chickens Got Her Good! A Backyard Poultry Adventure."
Sweetpea's summer farewell is the cluck-ingest heartbreak yet.
Well, someone had to break the news to Sweetpea that summer's basically a memory. And honestly? I'm not sure she took it well. There's something achingly funny about watching a chicken process the end of warm-weather freedom, especially when they're used to ruling the backyard like tiny, feathered monarchs. Sweetpea's heartbreak feels real because it *is* real. These birds know when their days of scratching up sun-warmed dirt are numbered. It's a vulnerable moment, but also a little hilarious. If you need a pick-me-up after that emotional gut punch, our piece on "Chickens Got Her Good! A Backyard Poultry Adventure" captures that same blend of chaos and affection. For now, let's pour one out for Sweetpea.
Losing a feathered friend in the heat is the fowlest heartbreak.
Losing one of your feathered friends to the heat is a special kind of heartbreak, and I'm so sorry you're navigating those big feelings while stuck at work. It's brutal to have to hold it together for the public when your poor little toddler was so distraught, and you're left with an empty space in the coop. They're never just chickens, are they? They're family. For the brutal 105-degree days ahead, you're already doing the right things with the fan and shade, but consider freezing water bottles to place near their roosting spots, and swap their water for chilled, electrolyte-rich options a few times a day. It won't fix the grief, but it might help the remaining five weather the wave.