Chickens dying in heatwave

[coach723]

Just be very careful not to cool them down in cold water too fast and drop their temp too fast. This can cause them brain damage in a heartbeat. If you dunk them completely and drop their temp in say sixty seconds time over ten degrees this will do it.

Yes, I know. My hose is well water, not all that cold, so not an issue. It actually feels warm in the winter. And my sink water was cool, not cold. My buckets outside are also not all that cold, just cooler than the heat stroking chicken, and cooler than the ambient air.
I lost one last year and her core temp was about 118 degrees when I found her dead, she was almost too hot to touch.
Also, fat birds will have a lot more trouble with the heat, as well as any that have any underlying health issues.

 

[Flockincrazy]

No I haven’t known about this. Sounds interesting but I have two dogs. I am about to get another new dog also so I don’t know if I could but maybe I will once he learns the ropes. He is also going to be one of the coyote deterrents. He will be much larger than my little ones. A standard Schnauzer instead of my Mini and a little Shichon. We are adopting him at 6 years old from a breeding kennel. His owner died and the wife cannot manage the kennel anymore. I’m hoping he has good manners. He is much larger than my little ones. Being male leaving his scent should keep lots of predators away I hope. Back to predators. We have had a family of 6 peregrine falcons - huge ones- and four red tail hawks out hunting all day over our house. Not good. We have kept our little dogs in. Our chicks have been wary all day of the fuss they are making above them but they cannot get to them no matter how hard they try.

It will also deture your dogs from going off your property they will smell it and turn around I had a red tail hawk problem once and so to solve it I took bird net that you put on berry bushes to keep the birds off and put it on 8ft 2x4's and put them up over my yard where my flock roams and the hawks got so annoyed that they couldn't get to them they left

 

[HollyWoozle]

Can you water a shady patch of ground if they’re free ranging? We are in the UK so of course it’s not as hot as over there but we have had some days this summer which were very hot by our standards. Our flock will almost never get into trays of water to cool off, even when obviously affected by the heat, but they go straight to lie on damp earth or in puddles on the ground and this helps them a lot. They often dig to get the coolest ground too. Then they just sit there under a tree in their damp hole and seem to do great.
Sounds like you are doing a lot of good things already though and I hope you don’t lose anymore.

 

[KerriChick]

Our mulch stays cool when it is wet and it really helps the birds in their favorite shady spot. We used to have bare earth out there and it was awful. I did just have to water down the cuckoo marans with cool water because she was panting a lot. She gets the hottest- think her being dark gray does not help. I hope everyone can keep their birds cool and alive today! This is no joke.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

It will also deture your dogs from going off your property they will smell it and turn around I had a red tail hawk problem once and so to solve it I took bird net that you put on berry bushes to keep the birds off and put it on 8ft 2x4's and put them up over my yard where my flock roams and the hawks got so annoyed that they couldn't get to them they left

Well I will keep that in mind. Right now mine cannot free range due to county ordinances. We own a fair amount of city property in town and our run and coop are in a fence inside a fence situation so their area is huge with a large metal roof over top of everything. So they are safe from birds but the coyotes is uncertain and the three that came calling were large. They could have easily cleared our chainlink fence and eaten our dogs for breakfast. Gave me chills. The wingspans on these falcons are huge though. The neighbor down the street had five chickens that he let free range in spite of the laws and we haven’t seen them in a few weeks. Now I am guessing why. I hate it too.

 

[centrarchid]

Make so they have shade over ground you wet. Do not wet birds themselves as that can be a problem if evaporation rate is not high enough. Then make so they have good airflow, possibly as promoted by a fan in the shaded area. When you engage in agriculture, you do not take vacations when conditions threaten your stock or crop, a cost of doing business.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Well I will keep that in mind. Right now mine cannot free range due to county ordinances. We own a fair amount of city property in town and our run and coop are in a fence inside a fence situation so their area is huge with a large metal roof over top of everything. So they are safe from birds but the coyotes is uncertain and the three that came calling were large. They could have easily cleared our chainlink fence and eaten our dogs for breakfast. Gave me chills. The wingspans on these falcons are huge though. The neighbor down the street had five chickens that he let free range in spite of the laws and we haven’t seen them in a few weeks. Now I am guessing why. I hate it too.

Wikes ya that would have creeped me out to wow well I hope the birds go away and the coyotes decide to go hunt somewhere else

 

[Wagner_Ranch]

I just read that you have a coyote issue have you ever tried the hot pepper trick if not do it you take the hottest peppers you can get your hands on and crush them especially the seeds put it around your coop and run or property and they will be safe the coyote won't pass the hot pepper line reapply every month or after a big rain I have been using it for years and haven't seen a predator in yrs

How interesting! Will try

 

[Wagner_Ranch]

Make so they have shade over ground you wet. Do not wet birds themselves as that can be a problem if evaporation rate is not high enough. Then make so they have good airflow, possibly as promoted by a fan in the shaded area. When you engage in agriculture, you do not take vacations when conditions threaten your stock or crop, a cost of doing business.

It's the one trip a year my family get to take due to work. Heartbroken over our loss.

 

[centrarchid]

It's the one trip a year my family get to take due to work. Heartbroken over our loss.

You may see why many farmers have odd times to take vacations.