I have found dehydration is one of the swiftest killers of poultry. It sets in quickly and is difficult to fix if the bird is too far gone. A few hours in the sun without water can mean death. The best possible solution is to avoid it. I have put together this page in an effort to compile information about this malady of chickens which is especially common during the summer. I went through a rather terrifying bout of dehydration in a very valuable serama this morning. If I hadn't been able to step in when I did he would have died. It made me realize just how important it is to know how to deal with this and I hope that by sharing this information with the BYC community I can save a few chicken lives and spread awareness of the dangers of dehydration in poultry. **
Prevention First:
You can start by taking a few simple steps to prevent dehydration.
-ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS provide fresh clean water! This is the most important job you have when it comes to your poultry! If you find that in hot weather you need to refill the waterer several times a day, and don't have the time to do it, purchase a drinker that holds more water or add an additional drinker! You'll save yourself a lot of grief!
-Place the drinker on bricks or and upturned milk crate. This will help keep your chickens from kicking shavings and manure into it. Not only do the obstructions keep them from drinking, but is a good way to spread disease around.
-Make sure the water cannot be kicked over by large or energetic birds. Keep it in a quieter corner of the coop and away from roosting bars and the area in front of them as chickens may jump off the perch and crash into the drinker, overturning it.
How to Recognize Dehydration:
-Before dehydration sets in, birds may pant, open their wings, and fluff out their feathers. These are the first warning signs.
-The first symptom that tends to turn up is paleness of the face. Bear in mind that paleness does not always indicate dehydration; it might mean your birds are ill. Pullets are often rather pale prior to laying as well. You can distinguish this from illness or dehydration through further examination of symptoms.
-Breathing becomes heavy and labored.
-After a while the chicken will develop diarrhea.
-If you gently pinch the back of the shank (lower leg) the skin will not spring back as usual, much like the test performed on dehydrated humans.
-Shortly after the diarrhea, the bird will become listless, limp or even completely unreactive.
-If the dehydration goes too far the bird will go into convulsions. These involve unconscious twitching of the muscles, backward arching of the neck and paddling of the feet. This is broken by periods of general limpness and unreactivity.
-Shortly after, unless immediate action is taken, comes death.
The Cure:
I would like to stress that occasionally a chicken will be simply too far gone to be saved. It is more likely in poultry that have been unable to access water for several days. The best chance is before the convulsions have started although I have seen birds get back up after as well. Recovering from mild dehydration is a relatively quick process. The bird may be back on it's feet within a few hours.
Place the bird in a cool, preferably dark place (to keep it calm) such as the basement. Wrap it in a towel. Provide water with electrolytes to rehydrate. Dip the bird's beak into the water a couple of times and, if need be, help it tilt it's head back to swallow. Wait 5-10 minutes then repeat for the next hour or so. Increase time between waterings. Once the bird drinks on it's own you can put out feed moistened with water. Leave the chicken in a cool environment with plenty of water and feed for about 24 hours to ensure survival.
Electrolytes can be found in:
-electrolyte or electrolyte/vitamin packets specifically for livestock (follow directions on packet)
-"Smartwater"
-the addition of sugar or molasses to the drinking water at the rate of about two teaspoons per cup (or more or less depending on need)
-In a pinch, Gatorade works too but the other ingredients (artificial coloring, flavoring, sweeteners, etc.) are not so good for chickens.
** This information is based on my own experiences. If I have missed anything or posted incorrect information, I apologize and please feel free to correct me or add your own thoughts or experiences. I would rather have more than one opinion which is why I posted this as a thread rather than a member page!
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read through it, I hope it helps!
Prevention First:
You can start by taking a few simple steps to prevent dehydration.
-ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS provide fresh clean water! This is the most important job you have when it comes to your poultry! If you find that in hot weather you need to refill the waterer several times a day, and don't have the time to do it, purchase a drinker that holds more water or add an additional drinker! You'll save yourself a lot of grief!
-Place the drinker on bricks or and upturned milk crate. This will help keep your chickens from kicking shavings and manure into it. Not only do the obstructions keep them from drinking, but is a good way to spread disease around.
-Make sure the water cannot be kicked over by large or energetic birds. Keep it in a quieter corner of the coop and away from roosting bars and the area in front of them as chickens may jump off the perch and crash into the drinker, overturning it.
How to Recognize Dehydration:
-Before dehydration sets in, birds may pant, open their wings, and fluff out their feathers. These are the first warning signs.
-The first symptom that tends to turn up is paleness of the face. Bear in mind that paleness does not always indicate dehydration; it might mean your birds are ill. Pullets are often rather pale prior to laying as well. You can distinguish this from illness or dehydration through further examination of symptoms.
-Breathing becomes heavy and labored.
-After a while the chicken will develop diarrhea.
-If you gently pinch the back of the shank (lower leg) the skin will not spring back as usual, much like the test performed on dehydrated humans.
-Shortly after the diarrhea, the bird will become listless, limp or even completely unreactive.
-If the dehydration goes too far the bird will go into convulsions. These involve unconscious twitching of the muscles, backward arching of the neck and paddling of the feet. This is broken by periods of general limpness and unreactivity.
-Shortly after, unless immediate action is taken, comes death.
The Cure:
I would like to stress that occasionally a chicken will be simply too far gone to be saved. It is more likely in poultry that have been unable to access water for several days. The best chance is before the convulsions have started although I have seen birds get back up after as well. Recovering from mild dehydration is a relatively quick process. The bird may be back on it's feet within a few hours.
Place the bird in a cool, preferably dark place (to keep it calm) such as the basement. Wrap it in a towel. Provide water with electrolytes to rehydrate. Dip the bird's beak into the water a couple of times and, if need be, help it tilt it's head back to swallow. Wait 5-10 minutes then repeat for the next hour or so. Increase time between waterings. Once the bird drinks on it's own you can put out feed moistened with water. Leave the chicken in a cool environment with plenty of water and feed for about 24 hours to ensure survival.
Electrolytes can be found in:
-electrolyte or electrolyte/vitamin packets specifically for livestock (follow directions on packet)
-"Smartwater"
-the addition of sugar or molasses to the drinking water at the rate of about two teaspoons per cup (or more or less depending on need)
-In a pinch, Gatorade works too but the other ingredients (artificial coloring, flavoring, sweeteners, etc.) are not so good for chickens.
** This information is based on my own experiences. If I have missed anything or posted incorrect information, I apologize and please feel free to correct me or add your own thoughts or experiences. I would rather have more than one opinion which is why I posted this as a thread rather than a member page!
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read through it, I hope it helps!
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