Heat stressed pullets

We have been experiencing high temps like most of the nation right now. Three of my E E'S started making loud labored breathing sounds. One even made what sounded like reg. hiccups every few seconds. My DH put the box fan in the coop, I wet down all their bushes and under the bushes, put frozen bottles of water in every water container around the yard and gave them cold treats. After two days only the loudest-wheezing/hiccuping chicken sounded very bad. I even caught her and held her feet in cold water to try to cool
her down.
The other two were fine. Then I remembered many years ago I was bottle feeding my first calf and it developed diarrhea ( I did not know about scours then). Some old timers told me to fix up some jello water for him and put it in his bottle. The calf loved it and quickly got over his scours. Now the old timers told me it replaced the electrolytes. So yesterday I made up half a gallon of jello water...strawberry/banana...and set bowls of it around the yard. They loved it and all drank from them. Now it hit 102' yesterday...this morning all hens are doing fine. I just placed some more bowls of jello water around the yard. Now I don't know if it is just the sugar in the jello or what but it worked. No hens stressed from the heat now. Of course, Peanut Butter..the really stressed hen...runs when I come near her now.

I wouldn't think it would replace electrolytes, but pectin is helpful for the intestine.

As for the chickens, I'm sure the sugar and fruity flavor of the water encouraged them to drink more than they would have normally, which would have helped them. Once a creature gets too dehydrated, they feel so lousy that they don't even eat or drink well. The heat doesn't help with their appetites, either. Once they get rehydrated, they really perk up. Good job! This is something I never would have thought of.

thanks, whatever works is my motto.

hey, thanks for the suggestion. I'll try that in a bit, as I am having the same temps as you.
all of my girls are out laying on bricks of ice right now.

The bananas & strawberries will supply some of the potassium the birds lose when its so very hot. I don't have jello around so I can't say whether there is any sodium in it, the fruit is supplying some though too.

I do not want to risk this happening to my pullets-
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=13780
but then again, at the temps they are having I don't know what would help.

Carrie, THANK YOU for posting on the subject of heat stress/illness in chickens! I have been so worried about our flock and got on here hoping I would find SOMETHING to help me figure out what to do.
I'm just outside of mount vernon missouri, so we're having the same awful temps as you.
Your jello idea brought to mind a recipe I found recently on how to make homemade electrolite solution (like pedialite). I'm gonna give either it or the jello a try as soon as i'm done on here.
Here's the recipe just in case you want to make some yourself.



2 quarts water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons sugar
1 packet Sugar-Free Kool-Aid
1/2 teaspoon salt substitute
Directions:

The salt substitute and Kool-Aid are optional. Store in the refrigerator. Be creative; use your special Kool-Aid to make ice cubes so it will stay cool in their bottle or sippy-cup. Or, insert toothpicks into your ice cubes before freezing and make homemade popsicles.

Okay, I just made a gallon of the pedialite stuff but with regular (not sugar free) kool-aid. They're all looking at it funny, but i'm sure they'll like it once they drink it. I tasted the stuff and it tastes EXACTLY like the store bought stuff. I've got it in several bowls around the yard with ice so no matter where they go they have a drink near by.

Thank you Donna!! How awesome!! I just took out some more jello water and they really drank it up. They are in the cold water too but the silly ducks (although they have a kiddie pool with fresh water in it) get into the pans of water I have sitting around the yard for the chickens and make muddy water out of it. Those are the only poultry I do not worry about as they get into water to stay cool. I took a pint of yogurt out and they all devoured it. Just threw some tomatoes out to them. I dare not take grapes out unless I wear body armour.
I am so grateful to have a recipe like the one you posted!! I cannot thank you enough. I don't know the scientific facts to the jello water and really don't care as I had three chickens in major distress and they are fine now.
I just copied that recipe and put in my documents along with a hundred other recipes, LOL. I will need to get to some kool aid and cannot wait to make it up.

Good, i'm glad you'll be able to use the recipe! I just used an old milk jug and made a gallons worth of the generic instant kool-aid so I skipped the sugar in the recipe. I also only added 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt even though the recipe calls for 2 quarts water and I made a gallon instead.
I'm a big tight-wad so i'm sure this recipe will come in handy once school starts back up and the kiddos come home sick. That store bought stuff is like 5 bucks for one quart!

Tomatos are a good idea too! I never thought about it, but those things are plum full of water and my birds just love them. Gosh, I had to fence all around my garden in order to keep them from eating all OUR food! lol! I'm gonna go out there and pick some of the bruised or cracked ones and let them have them.