Handling the extreme heat with my chickens

[dbounds10]

The only thing I would add to all the other ideas listed here is to provide chilled or frozen fruits and veggies. Today the girls got a pint of fresh frozen blueberries, I also keep tupperware containers full of watermelon and other water rich items.

Mine have a shade cloth covered run that it under several trees, fans 24x7, frozen water jugs, and a mister system in addition to the frozen treats.

 

[cmom]

I do have shade for my birds as well as wading pans and sprinklers. They don't mind being in the cool water from the sprinklers.

 

[m.r.heavenlyhens]

I sure like the idea that one member had about freezing fruit and giving to hot chickens. It is very hot here in texas and I like to think that our number one preditor is the heat. Any way I feed some electrolyte and vitamin supplement that is sold at the feed store and made by Durvet. It has Ascrobic acid and vitamins that help chickens in the heat. I us
e it in the waterer when I know it is going to be hot.

 

[NHchicks]

I have been worried about my birds lately too, even up here in NH - supposed to get near 100 degrees today. One of my hens I've noticed seems to have a really rough time - she walks around all day with her wings stretched out like elbows, it's pretty funny. They free range all day so there is plenty of shade, but the air itself is heavy and oppressive. The idea of cutting a watermelon in half and leaving it out there for them is a great one. And so is the ice cube idea - my daughter is right now outside putting ice cubes in all their water bowls, which I have dispersed all over to make sure they don't run out - they step on those things and tip them over and I just refill them all the time. We only have another day of this oppressive heat and then it will be back to a chilly 80 degrees - ha. I love the heat, but not when it's dangerously hot. As it is, I'm inside with my a/c which is running 24/7 right now.

 

[jndorsey]

Wow I was getting ready to start a thread asking what everyone was doing to help their birds get thru this heat and see it's already been started! I love the ideas here, the freezing the gallon jugs and just setting them around, fine-mist sprinklers, and FROZEN FRUIT AND VEGGIES! That is a great idea and will put out some frozen blueberries and the frozen banana mush I was saving for bread when I get home. Thanks for the great tips, everyone. Someone mentioned that cracked corn will make them even hotter in the heat? Good to know. I have one hen who just doesn't do well in the heat, thought we were going to lose her last year, but she made it thru. Thanks to these ideas I think she's got a better chance of surviving this central VA summer!