Extreme heat

[basement chick]

So we moved from Indiana to eastern North Carolina in April. Our house is up on piers because we live on a creek. We are going to build a nice elevated shed and bigger run by the trees this year, but for now we put up a temporary plastic shed under the house with attached covered run. Even with frozen water bottles in all the water, four fans and sand in the run, I am still concerned about them. I just set up the dog x-pens under the house so they can come out and lay on the concrete. I have fans on them and am sitting out here watching them because we have a lot of foxes and eagles here. There is a warm breeze under here. They are all laying on the cool concrete but a couple are still panting. Do you all think that's ok? I read that panting all the time is hard on them. Anyone else have hot, panting chickens all the time? Do they do ok all Summer?

 

[Pork Pie]

This link may help - http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/788391/keeping-chickens-cool-in-summer-heat

I'm sure there will also be a thread on the topic here - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

 

[PennyM]

Ours have panted almost all summer so far. We have a fan in the run aimed at and under the coop, a mister for when it's super hot and a pan of sand that we put water in for the chickens to sit or stand in. We also give them frozen fruit occasionally and put ice blocks in their water. I've read on here where others freeze water in plastic jugs for the chickens to sit or lay by, so I'm in the process of trying that.

 

[Yardpimp]

Mine seem to be okay and the pant a lot,I have been thinking about putting a fan in with them but never have and I don't seem to have problems even in this Texas heat and sweltering humidity.I am kinda tough on my birds though.

 

[basement chick]

Ours have panted almost all summer so far. We have a fan in the run aimed at and under the coop, a mister for when it's super hot and a pan of sand that we put water in for the chickens to sit or stand in. We also give them frozen fruit occasionally and put ice blocks in their water. I've read on here where others freeze water in plastic jugs for the chickens to sit or lay by, so I'm in the process of trying that.

I tried a mister. They were afraid of it and all stood on the opposite end of the run. I figured they would get over it and left it on. Came back that evening and they're all still crowded on the opposite end of the run. I give them frozen fruits occasionally too. Thanks for your input! I'm a worrier so any advice helps me.

 

[basement chick]

Mine seem to be okay and the pant a lot,I have been thinking about putting a fan in with them but never have and I don't seem to have problems even in this Texas heat and sweltering humidity.I am kinda tough on my birds though.

Thanks! Helps knowing Texas birds are ok without fans.

 

[Minutiae Manor]

I usually put some ice cubes where they are sitting..... I had some hens sit on the ice cubes like eggs! That usually keeps them pretty cool.... Otherwise you could use big ice packs and they will crowd around those too! But, if you don't do anything, as long as they have fresh water I am sure they will be fine

 

[aart]

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.

I put out large shallow pans of ice cubes late afternoon, they walk in and sit on them and sip the water as it slowly melts...used to add water but they would gorge on too much too fast, I have seen a chicken suffer from an 'ice cream headache'.

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 afternoo...blows cooler air into 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 how everyone is moving.

Had hen suffer heat exhaustion/stroke last summer, she was standing stock still and let me walk right up to her(not at all normal for this bird). I determined she could not see out of one eye at all and the other was dicey. I started hydrating her with Qtip soaked in Sav-a-Chik solution held against the side of her beak, had to rub under her beak and the front of her neck to get her to swallow at first. Did this until she got too stressed, about 10 minutes, put her in a cage with a fan nearby to rest. Repeated this about every hour for half the day until she would drink out of a cup held in front of her. She recovered and I also gave the rest of the flock a dose of Sav-a-Chik solution in an open waterer(I use horizontal nipples on waterers), it really seemed to reduce the heat stress so now do that regularly when the heat waves are extreme and days long. Just a half gallons worth every couple days.

 

[aldarita]

You are doing the right thing by having fans around, I have fans in my runs and lots of shade. I also dampen areas in the run (sand) and they love to bathe in the cool sand, so providing a box with dampen sand will help them cool down, just make sure it is not muddy or too wet because of the risk of coccidiosis. This summer I started giving them save-a-chick electrolytes twice a week because their high water consumption and panting, you can make your own electrolytes, I like save-a-chick because it also has vitamins on it.
Your chickens will pant no matter what when it is hot, that is how they try to control their temperature. Be vigilant and watch out for signs that tells you they are in distress.

 

[Yardpimp]

Aldarita I see you are in Brenham,I am over in the Carlos area if you know where that is,ast of Navasota.Anyway,my pens are built open all the way around,no enclosure to ensure plenty of breeze if there is any lol and then for our 2 weeks of Texas winter I put tarps around north side.Pens also built in the shade with full length roofs to keep the sun out.