black_dove2
Songster
I lived in SoCal desert, Coachella Valley to be exact. The temperature fluctuates, but remains way above 105. Like right now we are experiencing a heat wave with temperatures 115 and up.
My hens, Danish Brown and Rhode Island Red approximately 25 weeks now have been handling it well. About the same as my dogs. Water, shade and panting! Lots of panting! The hens don't always stand with their wings slightly spread.
My logic has always been with myself included, if the temp inside the house is not kept freezing it will be easier to deal with the heat outside. I take my dogs out to yard when I frequently go out to yard. The hens are out in the shade in their run. Their body adjusts to the rising temperature throughout the day with the aid of shallow bowls of water.
I give them refrigerated veggies and fruits. By the time I've walked out there they've started to warm up. I can't take a brain freeze and I most certainly don't want my girls to go into shock and die! Even in the hospital one has to be dying of a fever to place a patient in a bed of ice.
I find it cruel to read or hear about chicken brain freezes and how their bodies react to such.
Wild birds live through the heat doing what birds do to stay comfortable. My hens do the same. Shade, water water and water and NO frozen treats or ice in bowls. The only ice in the bowls is when the water from tap comes out boiling, so even ice goes in dogs bowls to cool water down.
If I could (ant invasion) I would dig them a tunnel as my friend from middle East explained how they did so. When I lived on South Padre Island, Tx when there were very few people living there the dogs dug tunnels in the sand to keep cool.
I'd rather my hen be hot then shocked. In my opinion which will probably be against everything everyone else believes. Gumby and Precious are healthy and Gumby lays daily the most delicious small white eggs!
My hens, Danish Brown and Rhode Island Red approximately 25 weeks now have been handling it well. About the same as my dogs. Water, shade and panting! Lots of panting! The hens don't always stand with their wings slightly spread.
My logic has always been with myself included, if the temp inside the house is not kept freezing it will be easier to deal with the heat outside. I take my dogs out to yard when I frequently go out to yard. The hens are out in the shade in their run. Their body adjusts to the rising temperature throughout the day with the aid of shallow bowls of water.
I give them refrigerated veggies and fruits. By the time I've walked out there they've started to warm up. I can't take a brain freeze and I most certainly don't want my girls to go into shock and die! Even in the hospital one has to be dying of a fever to place a patient in a bed of ice.
I find it cruel to read or hear about chicken brain freezes and how their bodies react to such.
Wild birds live through the heat doing what birds do to stay comfortable. My hens do the same. Shade, water water and water and NO frozen treats or ice in bowls. The only ice in the bowls is when the water from tap comes out boiling, so even ice goes in dogs bowls to cool water down.
If I could (ant invasion) I would dig them a tunnel as my friend from middle East explained how they did so. When I lived on South Padre Island, Tx when there were very few people living there the dogs dug tunnels in the sand to keep cool.
I'd rather my hen be hot then shocked. In my opinion which will probably be against everything everyone else believes. Gumby and Precious are healthy and Gumby lays daily the most delicious small white eggs!
You are there, I'm not, and you know your setup far better than I do!
