Extreme Heat

[ChickiKat]

I am worried about the extreme heat we are having. Heat indices in the 100-110 range. My chickers are eating and drinking well. Not laying much and they pant all the time. I have lots of shade for them. Any more good ideas to keep them as comfortable as possible????? Tks

 

[Shayna]

Yep, dealing with the extreme heat here too.... I have been clearing out my freezer of fruits and veggies that have been there awhile and mixing them with yogurt. I put a bit of fresh fruits and veggies on top, stick it all back in the freezer so the yogurt is frozen too. They have been getting this every day and LOVE it!

Their pen is well shaded and I have half the run wetted down. The coop windows are open and the run is screened all the way around to allow breeze. Everything stays well shaded throughout the day because it's surrounded by trees. They have plenty of water available. Even though we're seeing triple digits, they really don't hold their wings out or pant very much, and do their typical chicken business. I've been letting them wander in the woods in the afternoon for a bit most days. They are still laying pretty well too.

 

[pinkhenhouse]

I have to make one of those ice blocks...what a GREAT idea! I have lost two girls in the last two weeks and almost another one yesterday due to the crazy heat here in OK. I put my girl in a cool tub of water to bring her temp. down and syringed water in her mouth to bring her back from nearly dying due to the heat. She is up today getting into everything like nothing ever happened...what a miracle. It's so crazy I spend half of my day making sure my babies have plenty of heat and the other half making sure the big chickens are staying away from it...when does the madness end?

 

[Messy]

Sure you do.


Please don't mislead people like this. It only ends up hurting the birds.

Excuse you? Sure I do? Whatever.

At those temperatures, you may wish to consider dunking the chickens up to their necks in the cool but not cold kiddie pool a couple times a day. That will bring their body temperatures down and help them pant less for a little while (the mister can't accomplish the same thing). It can actually be a life saving measure.

Oh I never thought about that. I have always tried to make sure they stay dry and was even hesitant when I first started misting them. I could not dunk them to their necks in the kiddie pool though. It simply isn't deep enough. The pool in the pen they are in is shallow enough that their feet and legs are about all that gets wet. The smallest ducks are in there and I don't let it get deep (no rain forever helps that unfortunately). Out of all the chickens, we only have one that wades into the pool and we try to keep him out. The others have never even shown an interest. We started using the tips from earlier in this thread about frozen ice with greens and fruit in it. The panting has slowed considerably just using that.
I will absolutely keep your idea in mind though! I can find ways to dip them in cool water. I just pray that the rest of this season is more bearable than the start has been. We've had numerous friends lose part of their flock from the heat, so we try to stay on top of it all day long.

 

[juliawitt]

I freeze water bottles and plastic milk jugs. Place them in the nest boxes. I have a small wading pool with 3 inches of water in it. Most of the girls will stand in it and cool their footies. I have a couple that don't, but they are the minority. I water down the run, so that when they take their dust baths, the dirt is cool and slightly moist. Have a vent fan in the coop and I have shaded the windows. Egg production is down, but heck, I don't want to work out in this heat...I'm sure they don't either. In my mind, this heat is reason for an egg strike.

 

[skunk1]

Hi. I have been cleaning out my freezer from food 3years old. I put the frozen squash, beet greens, apples etc (no meat) in the pen at three hour intervals during the heat of the day. My hens are laying steady. I have twenty-three layers, six chicks and two roosters, and two old bitties. Also set up a 2' x2' box fan to blow on low through the chicken wire into the coop during the day. Frozen water bottles in watering cans too. So far we haven't lost any. And it was 101 today steady nineties for a week before. They have a large outside run and have chosen to stay inside.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

I have 15-20 ideas on my blog post here:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/beat-heat-how-to-help-chickens-survive.html

I am worried about the extreme heat we are having. Heat indices in the 100-110 range. My chickers are eating and drinking well. Not laying much and they pant all the time. I have lots of shade for them. Any more good ideas to keep them as comfortable as possible????? Tks

 

[KDK1]

I have 15-20 ideas on my blog post here:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/beat-heat-how-to-help-chickens-survive.html

Mine love the mister, I have one just like that... same color too!. I have an eight head mister that I need to get hooked up real soon.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Mine love the mister, I have one just like that... same color too!. I have an eight head mister that I need to get hooked up real soon.

Wow, that's going to be a chicken water park. Fun!

 

[suki'smom]

105 here in Wisconsin and no rain in what feels like forever. I have a large dirt floor coop that houses 24 hens, 1 rooster, 8 pullets, 3 cockerels, and 17 four week old chicks. I rake poop every day then spray the floor with water to moisten it. I keep the windows open and make sure they have plenty of fresh, cool water. This has worked well for me. The birds dig in the cool, moist dirt and bathe in it. They look dirty and homely but they are cool and the hens are laying steadily and everyone has good appetites. My birds also have access to a large 50x50 that is well shaded by trees and bushes. So far I havent lost any although they are all cold hardy breeds and not really meant for the heat.