Going away on vacation and worry about the heat at home, how much should I worry?

[Henfla]

So, I live in the arctic and we are not used to high temperatures (I think the highest we had was 77 degrees a few weeks ago, and my chickens did fine). I am leaving in just a few hours actually and will be away for 8 days. I worry about many things about how they will manage without me, but what I worry about the most is that the forcast says it will be 82 degrees for three days (but maximum 68 at night). I have opened one of the windows in the top of the coop so that it will be more ventilation, and also their automatic door doesn't shut until 12 am. I also bought a fan so that the air will circulate and my family will turn that on the days it will be warm so I think that they will be fine during the night. I worry about how they will manage during the day if the temperature goes over 80 degrees. My family and friends will change their water daily and the run is in the shade until 4 pm, and I have made alot of shade for them in the run. They have a kiddy pool filled with sand/dirt and sawdust, and also they dust bathe straight on the ground. I also have cut some watermelon and put it in the freezer so that my family can give it to them every day. I have a camera so that I can watch them several times during the day and call my family if they seem too hot, so that they can drive the 15 minutes drive from their house to ours if needed and help them.

So I am wondering how much I need to worry about 82 degrees fahrenheit and if the measures I have done is enough.

 

[azygous]

You should relax and have a good trip. Your chickens have acclimatized to the warm temps, so they should be fine. You seem to have all the bases covered, so now trust your family to follow your instructions.

Tips:

Dampen their dirt bathing medium. This will allow the cool soil to draw out excess body heat. Fans to circulate the air will help reduce heat buildup. Frozen munchies will also draw out excess body heat.

The addition of electrolytes to their water on the days that get into the 80s will help their bodies deal with the heat. Electrolytes aren't really necessary as long as the temps remain in the 70s.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

They should be just fine. It's tempting to tease you with our 95-deg-plus temps here, but I won't because my chickens would suffer in your winter temps instead. I think you've done as much as you can do to make them comfortable, and they will seek out the best spots to stay cool - so relax and enjoy your trip.

If I must try to find advice for you, it's this: Do they have access anywhere to bare dirt on the ground and in the shade during the hottest part of the day? If so, soak that area down with water and ask your family to dampen it again whenever they go to top off the water. They'll scratch depressions in the damp earth to lay down - and it will keep them cool.

You could also freeze some bottles of water, and have your family put a couple inside the coop or in a shady area during the heat of the day. They'll last most of the day in your temps, and the birds can huddle nearby to cool down.

 

[Henfla]

You should relax and have a good trip. Your chickens have acclimatized to the warm temps, so they should be fine. You seem to have all the bases covered, so now trust your family to follow your instructions.

Tips:

Dampen their dirt bathing medium. This will allow the cool soil to draw out excess body heat. Fans to circulate the air will help reduce heat buildup. Frozen munchies will also draw out excess body heat.

The addition of electrolytes to their water on the days that get into the 80s will help their bodies deal with the heat. Electrolytes aren't really necessary as long as the temps remain in the 70s.

They should be just fine. It's tempting to tease you with our 95-deg-plus temps here, but I won't because my chickens would suffer in your winter temps instead. I think you've done as much as you can do to make them comfortable, and they will seek out the best spots to stay cool - so relax and enjoy your trip.

If I must try to find advice for you, it's this: Do they have access anywhere to bare dirt on the ground and in the shade during the hottest part of the day? If so, soak that area down with water and ask your family to dampen it again whenever they go to top off the water. They'll scratch depressions in the damp earth to lay down - and it will keep them cool.

You could also freeze some bottles of water, and have your family put a couple inside the coop or in a shady area during the heat of the day. They'll last most of the day in your temps, and the birds can huddle nearby to cool down.

Thanks alot. I soaked the area where they dust bathe directly on the ground (in the shade) before I left this morning