**Cautionary Heat Story**

[coach723]

How hot is TOO hot?

I don't think there is a cut and dry right answer for that. Heat and humidity can vary the risk. Basically I think if your birds are panting, holding wings out, being inactive, then it's hot and they are having trouble, so any help you can give them is best. Just like in humans, once heat stroke sets in the bodies core temp rises drastically and quickly. Had I witnessed her distress I MAY have been able to save her, but I didn't and it would not have been a guarantee at that late point. I check on them often in the heat, but like most people I can't be out there round the clock.

 

[Blooie]

Great thoughts to share your loss in a thread. Very timely, as well. I’m sorry you lost a chicken, though.

I have had exceptionally good results using misters. The ones I use are free standing and attach to a garden hose. They can be easily be moved. I start them up late in the morning, say around 11, run them for about 30 minutes, then turn them off. I don’t need to soak the chickens, but I do want the area around them, the landscape fabric shades over the run, and yes, even the litter somewhat, to be wet. For the next couple of hours, as that water evaporates, it cools the air around the run. Then as the day heats up, I run them again periodically, moving them so they are always in the shade, but since the chickens and their area got that initial cool-off between 11 and 1 or 2 (depending on how got it was that day) they seem to stay fairly comfortable. Their run door is open all day long, so they tend to forage in the morning, usually staying in the shady spots and moving with it. As the day wears on and the misters go on, they usually gravitate back toward the run.

Another thing I do is the usual frozen watermelon/fruits/and vegetables, but I stuff them in suet cages and hang them up just at the level where they can reach them.

 

[AmyJane725]

I do all the common methods of cooling, many of which are mentioned in the link above. I change water often to keep it cool. I put frozen bottles in the waterers. I have shallow dishes out they can stand in in the shade. I use frozen jugs in front of fans. I wet the ground in the shade. I have planted to add more shade and have put up a sun shade in one corner of the run. I have fans in the coop to circulate the air. I give frozen berries and watermelon. Had I seen a bird in distress i would have dunked it to cool it off or taken it into the A/C long enough to cool off and hydrate. Sometimes things happen no matter how prepared you think you are. This is the first bird I've lost to heat, so mostly I think I do a good job. No explanation for this one.

You clearly try REALLY hard and going the extra mile for your birds. It's possible this one had a predisposition to low heat tolerance and there's just not much you could have done outside of moving somewhere cooler. I'm really sorry for your loss. It's extra difficult when you're trying so hard to do everything right and things still don't work out.

 

[Kota Mitera]

Yucky heat wave! My girls do have plenty of shade, plenty of water w/ACV, watered up feed, icy cold cabbage. I sat with them and they are panting, holding wings out and looking at me as if to say "can't you fix this?" If it is 96+ degrees now, what is going to happen in August? Oy. I need to get another length of hose to reach the coop so I can mist them because I have read all the suggestions, done what I can and now it is faith time...

 

[coach723]

I have upped my frequency of refreshing waterers, and I'm leaving a hose running all day to keep a shady corner really wet so they can stand in the puddles. Added yet another fan to the coop. Tried a shallow pool and they treat it like a bomb about to go off. Just doing what works. I haven't had any others look super distressed, so hopefully she was just predisposed to be heat sensitive.

 

[Gamecock44]

It was 100 at our house today. Chickens have some shade. They pretty much just sit in the shade when it gets really hot. Sorry to hear of your loss.