Have many of you lost chickens in the heat wave?

[Dhkoenig]

Hi All - WOW its been hot. Triple digit heat and 90+% humidity. I have been losing sleep over losing some of my girls. I am doing all of the things - the fans, the misters, the air flow and ventilation, the shade, I even bought some rolls of sod that I laid out inside the runs so I could scatter ice on the ground and use the misters without muddy messes. I froze fruit and healthy treats in big bowls and have turned them out on platters so they can pick at them.....but I don't know if there is a point after which you do everything and you still lose them. I am going away for the weekend and leaving the chickens in the hands of someone else, hoping they will be diligent but have you all lost any to it?

 

[GodLovesU]

I haven’t lost any, but it hasn’t been quite that hot where I am.

 

[aart]

Almost lost one once.

I am doing all of the things

I don't see Electrolytes on your list?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[Cheeper Keeper]

I'm in north TX where it's in the high 90s and humid to boot, with the worst yet to come. It's also been pretty dry as of late, my land looks like a giant jigsaw puzzle with all the huge cracks in the clay soil. One of my Marans and a Whiting True Green have both gone broody but other then that and a bit of panting, everyone one seems fine. They mainly bunk down in the cool dirt in or just outside their coop which is well ventilated during the heat of the day and are out roaming and foraging in the early morning and evenings when there's more shade and less heat. They also have a shallow pan of water in the coop they can get into if they choose. I give cool watermelon strawberries or grapes as their evening treat a few times per week. I read somewhere that giving frozen or very cold anything to eat during the heat of the day lowers their internal temp and actually could do more harm then good.

 

[Eggs_Over_EZ]

We have had over 90 and up to triple digits since the beginning of May. We have 70 - 2-3.5 month old chickens in three coops, the latest group went in just this Sunday. We keep their wateres full and give them cool watermelon periodically. No misting or pools. We even started getting our first eggs from our ISA Browns this past Sunday. We find 1-2 each day now. We do see them panting but they still like huddling together. Now our coops are opened on both ends and the front half is only covered on the top only but the roost area is fully covered. We open the sides during the day once the sun is no longer shining directly in. Many days we do not get a breeze. They are doing well. We just picked the wire to make enclosed yard so they will be allowed out during the day with access to shade. We did intentional build the hoop coops in a shaded part of our property. Living interior of FL we do not get the coastal breezes.