EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[Fire Ant Farm]

Thanks, Kristin! Super helpful. One of the PCs was acting really distressed and panting hard, so I stuck his legs in the water bowl. Glad I did the right thing. I'll probably have to give my old hen a bit more assistance... Poor girl starts panting near 75. Planted firmly in the coop in the corner once it hits 80. She definitely gets more heat sensitive as she ages.

I use those Fortex pans (the plastic ones, not the rubber ones) and they use it as another water source and a foot bath. When it gets really hot (you can judge what "really hot" means for your chickens) I will sometimes put some ice in the pan in the morning so it stays cooler through the day.

You can also freeze water in gallon jugs and have them available on the floor of the coop - they will learn to snuggle up next to one if they are too hot. That's a very common thing many do. (People do that with rabbits, too.)

lol.

Well thanks.

Oh did I mention the humidity? It's at 91%

I would fall over and die. So would all my birds.

It's different for the North.... we aren't nor are our birds acclimated to 100's.
My ducks sit out in below zero weather... im sure yours would die.... although I won't let mine sit out long in them temps.... they protest when I put them away.

Exactly - all about adaptation (as well as predisposition - I've heard Chanteclers would drop dead at our temps...). As with us humans - it's early in the season, they may do better as they get more used to it this summer. The older ones may not be able to adapt as well, so you can have those options available for them.

Keeping chickens alive in the heat is one of the primary things I focused on before I even got chickens. That's why I have the breeds I do and not others. I also don't go overboard with the cooling stuff, because I want to know if they have a hard time - if so they are culled (or at least not used as breeders). I use misters, but ONLY when it's consistently over 95F. I turn them off under 95. I want my birds well adapted to my climate.

I've been watching the S&G broiler NNs like a hawk, and am going to keep the boys as long as I can before culling (except some obvious ones - e.g., cross beak that's picked on). I want to see EXACTLY how well they do in the summer. If any begin to suffer at a temp that I judge to be too low, I'll cull, and keep the ones who are most active and seem to do well. (I have a top contender now, but as anything can happen, I still will evaluate the others.)

Also, Banti, when they get hot (and drink lots), their poop gets really loose/watery, and if you don't realize that, you might think they are sick or have worms.

- Ant Farm

 

[Pensmaster]

It's really hard to say not being there looking at your birds. But for me, and for other folks I know who live where it gets really hot, a little panting is not uncommon. I read someone on BYC saying that any panting was a sign of a bird in severe distress and that you had to act immediately - if that were the case, all my birds would have been long dead, so I found that a bit ludicrous, and other folks in Arizona, etc., also laughed at that. That being said, mine still walk around and otherwise act ok - just wings out and some panting/mouth open. (And, for what it's worth, the S&G pullets were fine, there was a rim of water in the lip of the waterer, it was just good I refilled it then.) If in addition to panting your birds seem to be acting unsteady or in distress, you probably want to act. (Gosh, they must have developed a big fat layer to be too hot at those temps, though - but some breeds do more poorly in heat than others.)

Give them cold water to stand/walk in, and if you notice one looking uncomfortably hot, you can start by holding her with her feet and legs in the cool water - in my experience, that cools them down well and have had them stop panting while we stood there having a foot soak. If you REALLY think one (or more) is in trouble, fill a 5 gallon bucket with cool (not cold) water and dunk them. On really hot days you can have the bucket filled and ready just in case.

I can't remember if I posted this earlier, but this is Lissa cooling her feet:

View attachment 1040814

I think The Chicken Chick has a good article on hot weather stuff.

Maybe they acclimate like we do. I've noticed mine acting like it was 100 out the other day it was only 80. But when the real weather kicks in they all do fine. Well as fine as a chicken can do at 106

 

[BantyChooks]

Can't you or know someone who could help you run a. Buried hardwire out there and install an outlet? It's really not hard to do and would be safe. .... but I have a feeling if you had issues in the past it was the quality and size of the extension cord.
Heck if I lived close I would do it for you.

I've thought of it before. I might, someday... Certainly not with this coop, lol... Just hasn't been much of a priority. I think something chewed on the cord because there was an exposed spot... Six inches lower and the coop would have been toast. The bedding was very dry and dusty.

 

[dan26552]

I use those Fortex pans (the plastic ones, not the rubber ones) and they use it as another water source and a foot bath. When it gets really hot (you can judge what "really hot" means for your chickens) I will sometimes put some ice in the pan in the morning so it stays cooler through the day.

You can also freeze water in gallon jugs and have them available on the floor of the coop - they will learn to snuggle up next to one if they are too hot. That's a very common thing many do. (People do that with rabbits, too.)







Exactly - all about adaptation (as well as predisposition - I've heard Chanteclers would drop dead at our temps...). As with us humans - it's early in the season, they may do better as they get more used to it this summer. The older ones may not be able to adapt as well, so you can have those options available for them.

Keeping chickens alive in the heat is one of the primary things I focused on before I even got chickens. That's why I have the breeds I do and not others. I also don't go overboard with the cooling stuff, because I want to know if they have a hard time - if so they are culled (or at least not used as breeders). I use misters, but ONLY when it's consistently over 95F. I turn them off under 95. I want my birds well adapted to my climate.

I've been watching the S&G broiler NNs like a hawk, and am going to keep the boys as long as I can before culling (except some obvious ones - e.g., cross beak that's picked on). I want to see EXACTLY how well they do in the summer. If any begin to suffer at a temp that I judge to be too low, I'll cull, and keep the ones who are most active and seem to do well. (I have a top contender now, but as anything can happen, I still will evaluate the others.)

Also, Banti, when they get hot (and drink lots), their poop gets really loose/watery, and if you don't realize that, you might think they are sick or have worms.

- Ant Farm

Yep!

 

[BantyChooks]

I know.....i have a metal roof on my house.... best thing I ever did.... snow slides right off

My old house had one. Used to give me quite a start in the middle of the night when it would slide off. Got used to it eventually.

I use those Fortex pans (the plastic ones, not the rubber ones) and they use it as another water source and a foot bath. When it gets really hot (you can judge what "really hot" means for your chickens) I will sometimes put some ice in the pan in the morning so it stays cooler through the day.

You can also freeze water in gallon jugs and have them available on the floor of the coop - they will learn to snuggle up next to one if they are too hot. That's a very common thing many do. (People do that with rabbits, too.)







Exactly - all about adaptation (as well as predisposition - I've heard Chanteclers would drop dead at our temps...). As with us humans - it's early in the season, they may do better as they get more used to it this summer. The older ones may not be able to adapt as well, so you can have those options available for them.

Keeping chickens alive in the heat is one of the primary things I focused on before I even got chickens. That's why I have the breeds I do and not others. I also don't go overboard with the cooling stuff, because I want to know if they have a hard time - if so they are culled (or at least not used as breeders). I use misters, but ONLY when it's consistently over 95F. I turn them off under 95. I want my birds well adapted to my climate.

I've been watching the S&G broiler NNs like a hawk, and am going to keep the boys as long as I can before culling (excepts some obvious ones - e.g., cross beak that's picked on). I want to see EXACTLY how well they do in the summer. If any begin to suffer at a temp that I judge to be too low, I'll cull, and keep the ones who are most active and seem to do well. (I have a top contender now, but as anything can happen, I still will evaluate the others.)

Also, Banti, when they get hot (and drink lots), their poop gets really loose/watery, and if you don't realize that, you might think they are sick or have worms.

- Ant Farm

Great idea. Yes, they have been drinking like hosses. Especially the poor chanties... They looked like they needed to go for a swim.

 

[duluthralphie]

Can't you or know someone who could help you run a. Buried hardwire out there and install an outlet? It's really not hard to do and would be safe. .... but I have a feeling if you had issues in the past it was the quality and size of the extension cord.
Heck if I lived close I would do it for you.

Yea, and if I was not afraid of going into the VWN and never returning,,or liked her just a little, I would do it too...

But,, Naaaa Not gonna do it....

 

[LittleLakePhil]

I've thought of it before. I might, someday... Certainly not with this coop, lol... Just hasn't been much of a priority. I think something chewed on the cord because there was an exposed spot... Six inches lower and the coop would have been toast. The bedding was very dry and dusty.

Well when I ran power out to my barn i ran 12/3 wire buried in PVC Condit the critters can't chew through it.

 

[BantyChooks]

Yea, and if I was not afraid of going into the VWN and never returning,,or liked her just a little, I would do it too...

But,, Naaaa Not gonna do it....

I can think of worse things than never returning from the VWN

 

[BantyChooks]

Well when I ran power out to my barn i ran 12/3 wire buried in PVC Condit the critters can't chew through it.

I'd definitely do that. Lots of mice around my coop. Evil boogers. They're awful cute though...

 

[duluthralphie]

I can think of worse things than never returning from the VWN

We agreed to never discuss the video, so why bring this up????