- Mar 9, 2010
- 95
- 3
- 39
Santiago, our alpha hen, died yesterday of what we think was overheating in our severely hot weather. All the other chickens are doing well and have precautions in place to prevent this from reoccurring - but she will be missed.
I came home from work yesterday and found her panting in the deep shade nestled against a tree in the cool dirt. I picked her up and felt her muscles spasm a little but she didn't protest or move otherwise at all. I took her inside and sat her down. She couldn't stand or hold herself upright.
I put her in a bath of cool water in the sink. She drank some of the water. I moved her over to an armchair in a pile of towels with a box fan blowing on her. I misted her with a spray bottle to try to cool her down and fed her some poly-vi-sol in a needless syringe.
She laid there almost totally unresponsive. I watched her for a little while until she seemed cooled down. I removed the box fan and wrapped her moist body loosely in a towel so she wouldn't be too cold.
She laid there for awhile longer. I inspected her body all over for bites, wounds, bumps, bruises... and saw nothing. I placed her back on the towels and propped her head up with a little hand towel so it wouldn't droop down.
I sat there and watched her spasm a few times until she died - water poured out of her beak and nose... very sad.
I post this so that others might learn from my experience.
I thought they would be okay in the heat... They have access to plenty of water, free range of my 1/3 acre yard that has trees, bushes, shrubs, shade...
Well that wasn't the case. Up until yesterday afternoon she was fine. Yesterday morning and even around 1pm she was frisky, happy, alert... She even laid an egg that afternoon... but by 4:30pm when I returned home... she had become unresponsive. I didn't realize heat could kill that quickly.
We're armed with a ice cubed chicken wading pool and mister today... so hopefully this doesn't happen again...
Santiago ♥ September 13th, 2010 - June 22nd, 2011 ♥
She laid a pretty blue egg almost every day of her life, was grumpy but happy, and enjoyed dust bathing.
She was a good hen and loved by all who knew her.
Santiago (aka Crooky-toe) is one grumpy alpha hen. She lets me know that camera isn't her favorite toy by putting this face on. ♥
I came home from work yesterday and found her panting in the deep shade nestled against a tree in the cool dirt. I picked her up and felt her muscles spasm a little but she didn't protest or move otherwise at all. I took her inside and sat her down. She couldn't stand or hold herself upright.
I put her in a bath of cool water in the sink. She drank some of the water. I moved her over to an armchair in a pile of towels with a box fan blowing on her. I misted her with a spray bottle to try to cool her down and fed her some poly-vi-sol in a needless syringe.
She laid there almost totally unresponsive. I watched her for a little while until she seemed cooled down. I removed the box fan and wrapped her moist body loosely in a towel so she wouldn't be too cold.
She laid there for awhile longer. I inspected her body all over for bites, wounds, bumps, bruises... and saw nothing. I placed her back on the towels and propped her head up with a little hand towel so it wouldn't droop down.
I sat there and watched her spasm a few times until she died - water poured out of her beak and nose... very sad.
I post this so that others might learn from my experience.
I thought they would be okay in the heat... They have access to plenty of water, free range of my 1/3 acre yard that has trees, bushes, shrubs, shade...
Well that wasn't the case. Up until yesterday afternoon she was fine. Yesterday morning and even around 1pm she was frisky, happy, alert... She even laid an egg that afternoon... but by 4:30pm when I returned home... she had become unresponsive. I didn't realize heat could kill that quickly.
We're armed with a ice cubed chicken wading pool and mister today... so hopefully this doesn't happen again...
Santiago ♥ September 13th, 2010 - June 22nd, 2011 ♥
She laid a pretty blue egg almost every day of her life, was grumpy but happy, and enjoyed dust bathing.
She was a good hen and loved by all who knew her.
Santiago (aka Crooky-toe) is one grumpy alpha hen. She lets me know that camera isn't her favorite toy by putting this face on. ♥
