Heat vs Chickens = Death

Mine live in a metal shed. I am heading out to release them, and get some  cold water and watermelon,so they can chill in the wooded area.

Thank you for the reminder.

Good reminder.  I lost 14 free ranging birds at one time last July.  They had ice water, cold watermelong and a box fan blowing across ice on them.  Do everything you can and then pray but for heaven's sake do not leave them locked up and think as long as they have a fan blowing and fresh water they are going to be okay...they won't be.

Praying for all of our flocks. 

First high heat forecast day passed with our exhaustion, but all birds alive. Today will be hotter than yesterday.

Can't ever figure my weather here at my location. Depending on who you believe, today will be 101,102, 103, 104, or 96.   Yesterday was forecast to be 104. We got to 96, which is still in the pressure cooker, but way better than topping 100*.
 

This weather station is in the next town from me, at about my elevation:

Saturday

Clear. High of 102F. Winds less than 5 mph.

Partly cloudy in the evening, then clear. Low of 72F. Winds less than 5 mph.

Yesterday, I used a lot of ice, and this morning I cut branches and placed them on top of the pen to give the gals added shaded even though I have shade cloth already in place.

Here in the uk it is hot but probably not as hot as other countries.

What I have which works for me , is a 4 foot by 8 foot ply board put on four corner posts and angled like a roof.

This i cover with a mixture of soil and sand, soak with a hose and leave for my girls to take shelter under, it keeps the temp a lot lower and may be a useful idea for others to try.

Don

The temp here has been 100 - 107F so far. I have to work in the heat, so i know how my birds must feel with all those feathers. We spray water on ourselves and that helps alot.  About 1:30 pm we have to take off work, it is not worth the health risk to work out in this kind of heat.

I have my water misting system and fans running in my pens during the hottest part of the day. I have not lost one bird yet.  Last year before i installed the mister system, i lost a few birds.

They love standing under the misters, in the little spot of water they make. My big breeding pen has fan forced misters, those birds rarely pant when it is running.

I also sell the units to make your own system. The units are commercial grade and will last years. Look for my ad in "Everything else" section on BYC "buy-sell-trade" section.

I can't post the link here, due to mods removing my post as spamming.

I feed them early in the morning and late in the evening, because i have read that feed makes them warmer. (not proven, but everything could help).

You have to understand. A 90* day is super rare here at my elevation of 2000 ft, and at my particular spot. A normal summer would mean maybe a day or two at that temp, but most of the summer would be 80-88*. This is highly unlike what my flock is used to.

Last summer, summer began in May and lasted through August, with high heat and humidity and fungal lung infections for a few older hens and Isaac. We were hoping not to repeat that this year. I fear I may lose Ike, as his tolerance for heat, which wasn't good in the first place, is much worse. It's awful to watch your buddy stop, turn purple and act like he cannot catch his breath. He's been a couple of seconds from death a few times since last summer with those episodes.