Chicken overheating?

[alevr]

Two of My chickens have been panting real bad at night. Kind of sounds like they can’t breathe and they make a weird noise. Kind of sounds like a sore throat at times. I am in Texas and it has gotten 109° a few times (yesterday and today for sure). I think we are having a heat wave from a hurricane in the pacific but not sure. Anyways I give them cold treats watermelon and cherry tomatoes and ice cold water and electrolytes. I also wet the ground for them multiple times a day. What could be going on with them? It’s not the regular panting to cool down. This sounds different.

 

[Banana01]

Two of My chickens have been panting real bad at night. Kind of sounds like they can’t breathe and they make a weird noise. Kind of sounds like a sore throat at times. I am in Texas and it has gotten 109° a few times (yesterday and today for sure). I think we are having a heat wave from a hurricane in the pacific but not sure. Anyways I give them cold treats watermelon and cherry tomatoes and ice cold water and electrolytes. I also wet the ground for them multiple times a day. What could be going on with them? It’s not the regular panting to cool down. This sounds different.

You can pull them from the coop and give them 20 mL of water to help them. Also feel their crop and if it is very hard, then you help them a lot giving them extra water at night to pass all the food in their crop.

Sometimes they dont drink enough to empty the crop, and giving them water with a syringe helps them.

Some reason your chickens may not be hydrating enough. Are your waterers off the ground a few inches? Maybe add an extra watering station at varying heights and locations. I have seven waterers and they have access to water all the time even at bedtime.

But lack of water does cause a chicken to make noises at night sometimes, I always pull the chicken from the coop and give water when I hear him make that sound, but that is for a chicken that only has one eye, not all of them. He sometimes doesnt drink enough.

 

[-Isla June-]

I don’t know why they could be panting other than the fact that they are hot. Do they seem to be acting different other than their breathing? I am supposing you don’t, but do you still have your heat lamp on at night? If so, turn it off. (Though you probably did) Where I am it can tend to get very hot as well, I recommend placing a shallow tub of water inside their coop. Fill it with somewhat cold water, but be sure that it isnt too cold. Make sure the tub is very shallow. Are they in shade? You could even try using a fan and turning it on during the day or night.