- Jun 18, 2012
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It's been in the upper 90's and in the 100's for the past couple days and days to come. I was wondering what the best ways are to make sure my chickens stay somewhat cool. Thanks!
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I don't do anything special for mine, really. I live in Texas and it's gotten up to like 107* here recently and mine did fine. They just dust bathe and drink lots of water. I give them electrolytes every now and then (which reminds me, I need to do that...) and other than that they pretty much take care of themselves. They get lots of scraps from the garden, which today included tons of squash and a watermelon.
I don't typically baby my chickens, I actually think it can do more harm than good sometimes, after all then what happens on that day when we aren't there to coddle and they suddenly have to fend for themselves? BUT, I do have an Ameraucana hen (~15 months) that is having a really hard time tolerating the heat this year. She was panting so hard yesterday I could actually hear her from about 15 feet away, where the rest of the crew would occasionally pant a little, but only after running up to meet me for treats. When hanging out in the shade under the trees, they were fine. So for her, I've been putting out containers of cool water, tossing in the occasional ice, etc. She will stand in them throughout the day and it seems to really help her cool off. And it's minimal effort on my part. I do wonder if she will make it through the summer though, but I suspect she also has other health issues, as she has never laid an egg.So, is all this hype about things we "must" do to help our chickens survive the heat yet another overly dramatic reaction typical of some BYCers? Anyone else with plenty of poultry experience want to weigh in here?