Jim : First just want to thank you for a great web site. I found you by just messin' around today. Have been raising pet chicken for 20 years now and just had a question. I bought 3 chicks last April, 2 Buff Orpington (my first) and a White Leghorn (bought 2 but 1 turned into a Romeo. He's no longer with us). Now that they are laying I'm getting 3 eggs a day but they are all brown. Is it possible the Leghorn can produce brown eggs by association? She acts like they're hers and I don't really care as they are all pets but was just wondering. Thanks again, Jim

My Reply : As far as I know it isn't possible but I could be wrong. I would first look at if it is certain that she is a leghorn as breeds like white rocks and rhode island whites can look quite similar. If she has white earlobes then she probably is a leghorn and should be laying white eggs but if the earlobes are red she must be something else.

Helen : G'day, We enjoy your newsletters and find them very informative. We live on the NSW, Australia Central Coast and have also been experiencing high temperatures. Harry, my husband, has spread hessian over the run and keeps a soaking hose with tank water running over it during the very hot part of the day. Years ago in the outback this was how food was kept and I think was known as a Coolgardie safe.

Kim : Love your newsletters always. I am a newbie to raising chickens. I have 6 chickens but sadly one of them passed away during the first day of the heatwave we have in Melbourne, Australia. I did not know that she was dehydrated. She was an Australorp. In hindsight, she did show signs of dehydration which I did not know then as she was lying down mouth open, panting, her comb slightly tinged grey. I though after she eat, she just wants to rest. There were shades around the enclosure where they free range and buckets of water too for them. I found her body in a resting position, under the nestling box of the hen house. She must have tried to hide there for shade! I remember reading somewhere that immersing the chicken in water helps to cool the temperature down. So I immediately did that and think that helped to save the rest of my flock. I then transfered the rest of the chickens to under the house (can walk in and has got a light) with the door open, only shut them in at night. I also put some ice cubes in their water buckets every now and then. Oh yes, I put some straw in a box and left it there for them too. They did lay 3 eggs for me each day while under the house. They are now back in their own surroundings and I can see they are their own happy selves again. They are good girls indeed!