Egg laying in hot summer months

[heisenmenger]

My two one year old chickens are great layers until this week. I have had 3 eggs in a week. They appear healthy but it has been really hot and humid. Any ideas? Should I be worried?

 

[hysop]

Mine also stopped laying when the heat started coming in, but they have since gone back to laying, I would guess now that they're acclimated.

My older hens (the ones that this spring is their 3rd year of laying) are still a bit low on the laying. But the younger ones are back to normal for the most part.

Make sure they have plenty of cool, clean water daily and shade. Some people have suggested freezing water bottles and placing them in the shade so the hens can sit near them and cool down that way. And just keep refreezing them every night.

 

[Hidrainja4]

I would make sure they have plenty of clean water. Mine were panting this morning at 8am it was so hot. Yet everybody laid an egg. The other thing could be predators at night disturbing them.

 

[PeachygirlGA]

I am having the same trouble! I have 6 young ones that haven't started laying yet, but 10 adult hens that have been laying 3 or so eggs a day. Today I got 2. I'll be glad when the pullets start to lay! They are about 15 weeks old now. I am not sure if it's the heat or what.

 

[analyticalblonde]

I really believe it has to do with the heat. When we started spiking above the 90s, I saw a drop in my year-old girls. When it dropped to the 80s, they started up again.

As with other posters, PLENTY of freshwater...I have 10 girls and have seen 2 1/2 gallons drunk in one day! I also add a TBSP of Apple Cider Vinegar per gallon of water to their water each day and have another waterer that is straight-up fresh water. The Apple Cider Vinegar solution gets depleted always but I keep the other water just in case they would rather have that.

I do the frozen water bottles as well...they do snuggle up to them to keep their bodies cool. I also freeze watermelon chunks (which defrost rather quickly) to give them another water source during the day.

 

[NatJ]

You can also get some of the usual chicken food wet with water and offer that-- they may not be eating enough dry food, when the weather is hot and they get thirsty. Offering the food wet can make it more appetizing (and help them get both food and water at the same time.)

You might try it in the evening, so they can fill their crops before bed and digest it during the cooler night.

Just do a little bit at first, to see if they like it; after that, they can tell you how much

 

[aart]

Vinegar can interfere with calcium uptake, especially in hot weather.

My birds are confined with no great deep shade for last half of the day so I have to be vigilant during heat waves. I do have shade cloths up on run, which helps, but still not deep shade.

To help cool down the coop I also have a box fan in the east window of coop, where it's shady most the day, and turn it on late afternoon...blows cooler air into coop and pushes hot air out.

To determine heat stress levels I go by activity level, if panting and wing holding seems extreme, I throw out a few treats to see if everyone is moving well.

Deep all day shade is best but....I don't have much of that.
This has worked very well to keep heat stress/stroke at bay:

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!