Bringing chickens indoors during heat wave

[RGB RIP]

Hi, everyone! I have two year-old hens - a RIR and a Faverolles. For some reason, the RIR has recently become extremely heat sensitive. This wasn't a problem during the heat of last summer, but now she begins panting and holding her wings out when the temperature hits the mid-80s (sometimes less). I live in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, where summer highs can reach 110-112 degrees. But we're having a long heat wave now, and the ice water/fans/electrolytes are just not enough. So I've had to bring them both inside this week. They're in a soft-sided collapsible pen I found on Amazon that measures 3ftX6ft. I added a covered cat litter box that they've taken to using as a nesting box. I've got a heavy vinyl mat down with washable fabric pee pads on top, which I wash every day. There's a piece of 4x4 lumber they can perch on. I've hidden some mealworms and soldier fly larvae in a plastic box full of wood shavings so they have something to turn over and dig through. They have (don't laugh) a TV with nature programs playing all day for some interesting sounds. I have a couple of full-spectrum reading lights positioned over the whole thing for light, but it's not really enough, so I've ordered a brighter one that should come soon. The whole thing covers almost perfectly with a queen size fitted sheet at night. This is all set up in my living room, which is not ideal, but it's the only place I really have the room for it.

I let them out to play in the backyard for a couple of hours every morning, and again for about 90 minutes when I get home at night if it has cooled down enough, but otherwise they're in there all day while I'm gone. Considering how sensitive the RIR is, and they're forecasting an extra hot summer, I have a feeling I'm going to be doing this a lot. So my question is: does anyone have any additional ideas for how I can make it healthier or more fun for them, or for a set-up that would work better overall in terms of mess and logistics? What I have isn't as awful as I thought it would be, but I'm very open to suggestions.

Also, if anyone has any experience that would lead them to believe the RIR's heat sensitivity could be some other type of medical problem altogether, please let me know. From everything I've read it just looks like heat stress, but I'm slightly concerned because she has it even indoors sometimes.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

@aart

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Here we are miserable if it hits 90F, can't imagine those 100F type temps happening now!
In general, having breeds that do better in heat makes sense for you, rather than breeds that do great in cold.
Our birds also pant and hold their wings out when it's 80F or warmer, and still be okay, with the cold water and shade. I also will hose down the coop roof, which helps, and it's all shaded too.
If your hen is overweight (obese) that's not good, otherwise, just see how she does. is she laying eggs, or molting, or does she have a large abdomen (abnormally large)?
If she is ill, heat won't help her feel better, true.
Mary

 

[aart]

Also, if anyone has any experience that would lead them to believe the RIR's heat sensitivity could be some other type of medical problem altogether, please let me know. From everything I've read it just looks like heat stress, but I'm slightly concerned because she has it even indoors sometimes.

Sounds like something else may be going on.


This is when I have a bird that is acting 'off'.
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.

Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.




Panting is the first stage, holding wings out comes next, but I look at activity.
If they won't move for treats something more needs to be done.
I use EL and ice blocks.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

Not sure what I would do in the OP's scenario....I'm retired and can look in on them all day.

 

[RGB RIP]

Welcome!
Here we are miserable if it hits 90F, can't imagine those 100F type temps happening now!
In general, having breeds that do better in heat makes sense for you, rather than breeds that do great in cold.
Our birds also pant and hold their wings out when it's 80F or warmer, and still be okay, with the cold water and shade. I also will hose down the coop roof, which helps, and it's all shaded too.
If your hen is overweight (obese) that's not good, otherwise, just see how she does. is she laying eggs, or molting, or does she have a large abdomen (abnormally large)?
If she is ill, heat won't help her feel better, true.
Mary

Thanks, Mary. She's still laying an egg almost every day and she's pretty active. I have noticed, though, that since I started bringing her indoors, she seems to like it. The other chicken would much rather forage outdoors, but now when I go out to get them, Nancy is standing at the back door waiting to be let in. So either she is getting relief from the air conditioned house, or she's just not as into exploring the yard, which could be a bad sign.

 

[RGB RIP]

Sounds like something else may be going on.


This is when I have a bird that is acting 'off'.
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.

Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.




Panting is the first stage, holding wings out comes next, but I look at activity.
If they won't move for treats something more needs to be done.
I use EL and ice blocks.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

Not sure what I would do in the OP's scenario....I'm retired and can look in on them all day.

A couple of months ago I had an adult hen die of coccidiosis, in spite of my cleaning the yard and coop daily. She had been sickly and a little stunted since she was a chick and I had worked very hard to keep her alive, but it wasn't a huge surprise that she got sick after a period of going very stubbornly broody and then laying an egg per day for several weeks. I think her little body just couldn't handle it. But still, because of that I've been obsessively checking the 2 other hens for bloody or runny poop, hard crops, etc. I put them through a round of CORID just in case. But other than this panting problem, I haven't seen anything unusual. They're eating normally, are fairly active, and the hen in question is laying an egg per day. They come running when I open the greenhouse door so they can sneak in and steal veggie greens. Someone else mentioned it might be a heart problem, but if that's what it is I doubt there's much I can do for it. I wonder if it's possible for chickens to pant when they're experiencing some kind of anxiety? Her breathing doesn't sound congested or anything. When it's hot she seems to be breathing hard, but even inside the house sometimes I've noticed her just standing there with her beak hanging open, so I wonder if that could be some other kind of stress response. I put electrolytes in their water when it's hot, Rooster Booster the rest of the time. But if there are any specific products or additives you would recommend, I'm open to suggestions.

And thank you for taking the time to answer. I know being retired doesn't mean you don't have better things to do, so I appreciate it.

 

[aart]

Stress and pain can cause panting.......but so can heat.
It's 90 here today and most my birds are panting... a couple are holding their wings out.

 

[RGB RIP]

I'm going to hope it's just heat. They have a lot more feathers and body mass than they did as young pullets, so maybe they're just much more sensitive. The one good thing about keeping them inside is that it's easier to see all their poop and how much they eat and drink, so if something goes really wrong there it may be easier to catch.

 

[Pickychicks]

Hi, everyone! I have two year-old hens - a RIR and a Faverolles. For some reason, the RIR has recently become extremely heat sensitive. This wasn't a problem during the heat of last summer, but now she begins panting and holding her wings out when the temperature hits the mid-80s (sometimes less). I live in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, where summer highs can reach 110-112 degrees. But we're having a long heat wave now, and the ice water/fans/electrolytes are just not enough. So I've had to bring them both inside this week. They're in a soft-sided collapsible pen I found on Amazon that measures 3ftX6ft. I added a covered cat litter box that they've taken to using as a nesting box. I've got a heavy vinyl mat down with washable fabric pee pads on top, which I wash every day. There's a piece of 4x4 lumber they can perch on. I've hidden some mealworms and soldier fly larvae in a plastic box full of wood shavings so they have something to turn over and dig through. They have (don't laugh) a TV with nature programs playing all day for some interesting sounds. I have a couple of full-spectrum reading lights positioned over the whole thing for light, but it's not really enough, so I've ordered a brighter one that should come soon. The whole thing covers almost perfectly with a queen size fitted sheet at night. This is all set up in my living room, which is not ideal, but it's the only place I really have the room for it.

I let them out to play in the backyard for a couple of hours every morning, and again for about 90 minutes when I get home at night if it has cooled down enough, but otherwise they're in there all day while I'm gone. Considering how sensitive the RIR is, and they're forecasting an extra hot summer, I have a feeling I'm going to be doing this a lot. So my question is: does anyone have any additional ideas for how I can make it healthier or more fun for them, or for a set-up that would work better overall in terms of mess and logistics? What I have isn't as awful as I thought it would be, but I'm very open to suggestions.

Also, if anyone has any experience that would lead them to believe the RIR's heat sensitivity could be some other type of medical problem altogether, please let me know. From everything I've read it just looks like heat stress, but I'm slightly concerned because she has it even indoors sometimes.

All the suggestions I've read here are good and worked for my birds...frozen fruit ice blocks, electrolytes, shade, wetting down the ground and a fan if you can hook one up. I have a suggestion about something that the heat makes worse...I had a mite problem in my coop this week during the heat. My suggestion would be to treat them for external parasites before you bring them in and make sure you have some (DE) diamatacious earth in your temporary quarters. Also vacuum daily around the area (first vacuum up some DE to have it in the vacuum bag if any mites get sucked up it will kill them) and empty the vacuum immediately afterwards. Don't skip any of this because you don't see bugs on your girls. It is a myth that chicken mites can't infest your house. It only takes a few and each of them lays thousands of eggs that will hatch where they have a comfy environment. It is also a myth that they don't bite people. I have clusters of bites from a major cleaning out of the coop. I would also use this opportunity to do a major cleaning of your coop so that it's better than ever when they return. I am wondering when the itching goes away!!

 

[aart]

It is a myth that chicken mites can't infest your house.

Indeed.
...also a myth that DE will kill them.