2nd hen dead in 3 days to heat prostration...

[Mahonri]

I've been out checking on them all day. Hit 109 today and it was humid (for AZ). It's 8PM, sun's down and it's still 104 with a dewpoint of 45, but humidity is down to 15%.

I went out at 6:30 to let my chicks out to free range for an hour and a half, I turned around and noticed my Rhode Island Red Jenna just outside the pop door and she looked dead.

son of Mahonri ran into the run got her and we took her into the family room. Sprayed her down with water and put a fan in front of her... once in a while she will move her head and open her eyes if we spray water on it, but then her head falls back down like she's dead, she has labored breathing and her right leg is twitching. She laid an egg two days ago, but has only been laying every 3rd or 4th day in this heat. This morning when we were cleaning the coop she looked fine.
Little chicks don't seem affected by it... I haven't given the hens any scratch, just layer pellets and crumbles.

We tried to get her to drink, but she won't. son will be very sad if we loose her.

Any ideas on anything else we could do?... we even put a cold pack that I use for my back on one side for 5 minutes and then on the other side for five minutes.

Last year they did OK with 116 on a couple of days.... but they were younger.

I'm rambling. I don't want to bury this wonderful hen.

 

[lovemychix]

Hope she pulls through. It has been so hot here also. I put a fan in the coop to give more air. Good luck.

 

[redhen]

I hope she makes it!

 

[texaschickmama]

I'm really sorry. The heat is just brutal!! I have misters on the silkie pen and fans on the others.

 

[beefy]

hope she pulls thru too. i had a broody that i think overheated a couple of days ago. i had her in a dog crate on some eggs and i found her in an opposite corner just kind of standing around, comb discolored, lethargic and stressed out looking. she had plenty or water, was in the shade, food, etc. anyway i just let her out and she just sat in the same place all day out in the yard. that night i had to put her in a safe place and the next day she was back to normal. hope yours hangs in there.

 

[faithfulgirl82]

Same thing happened to my mom's rooster this afternoon. It has been such a hot day that we stayed inside and completely forgot that my mom had her rooster and two of her hens in a small cage underneath the sun. When she went to move them to the shade, the rooster was on its side and looked dead. My mom and I poured some cool water on her. My mom opened her mouth while I poured some water into her mouth.

Right now the roo is inside the house and able to stand, but does not move or make a sound. We are very worried that he will not survive.

 

[annek]

Here is an article on heat prostration that will maybe help. They have a vein that runs under their wings that they open their wings up to cool, putting water there like on a moist cool rag will help.

http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/page1.htm

Hope your baby pulls through.

 

[Mahonri]

I can't even get her to move now. She just has labored breathing. We took the fan off of her because her temp 'feels' like she is down to room temperature... 76 degrees... thankfully we just got our family room AC fixed today because earlier it was 86 in there.

I don't think she is even aware anymore. I would just ring her neck and put her in a plastic bag but I keep hoping.

 

[annek]

She needs some electrolytes in her, I don't know if you can give it to her in her shape. Do you have gatorade or something like that? Can you hold her upright?

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
Thanks, we had just done almost everything in that article earlier hoping it would help.

son thinks she'll make it. I think we've lost her, she is totally non responsive now, but still breathing.