Heat and chickens - how to manage?

[hillbilly123]

We have had days in the mid 90's here in Ohio so far this week. My chickens free range all day, and they have their favorite shady spots they lay in during the hot part of the day and seem fine. I just keep fresh water out to them, so far so good. I'd just say make sure they have some shady spots to get out of the sun and keep them some water.

 

[Grateful Dad]

well was real hot and humid today, and the ladys did not want to leave the run till around 6 pm, so i let them out, and all was well, but for the family of 5 raccoons i saw... momma and babies...the chihuahua chased them off to a tree, and i think they were just passing thru. we will see......

 

[canesisters]

The girls were all panting when I got home today. I iced up their waterers and took them some frozen butter beans. They seemed to enjoy the novelty of cold beans.. but didn't actually eat any of them, as far as I could tell.

How concerned should I be about the panting??? I mean, in cats, panting is often a sign of imminent distress. In dogs, it's almost as common as sleeping.

Anyway, I remembered that WAaaaaay back when I first started talking about chickens, the folks who eventually gave me the shed gave me one of those big 5gal water-ers. It took me about an hour to find the 'tank'. And another half hour or so to remember that I was using the tray under a plant on the porch. Got them cleaned up and tested to see if they still held water after all this time. You have to get the top on REALLY, REALLY tight for those things to stop running - but it works. I tested the hole in the top to see if one of my ice tea cups would fit in it. It did. So now there is a tray taking up the entire bottom shelf of my freezer with a dozen brightly colored 12oz cups full of water which will be really big ice cubes tomorrow morning.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

You have lucky girls! You did a lot of really good things. One more you might consider: the tarp makes shade, but heat still comes off it unless it is reflective. You could use some sheets of styrofoam, use the Great Stuff foam in the can, or even bubble wrap or bags of shipping peanuts to provide insulation from the heat under the tarp. You could also just tape down some aluminium foil sheets (shiney side up). Also check the how the shade changes as the sun moves during the day.... You may need to extend the tarp down the sides if it is only covering the top.

Thanks. Honestly, could not have figured it out if it wasn't for this forum. The tarp is reflective - DH was using his noodle when he picked it up for the girls. We've been watching the sun, thankfully we have quite a few trees. Today the girls did okay, no panting, no signs of distress. Even got an egg!

Got to see my first dust-bath this afternoon. What a hoot! She dug and clawed at the ground and then rolled like a dog. She even rolled on her side! Made me laugh-out-loud!

I think we can just cancel Direct TV. These girls are so entertaining that we're spending all our time watching "Chicken-Vision"!

 

[3GChicks]

I am so glad that this question was posted. I live in Maryland also and today and yesterday have been awful. We are in for it again tomorrow but then Saturday it is suppose to cool off! My girls have plenty of shade and I found them having carved out little nest in the dirt and spreading the wings out.

I am definitely going to try the frozen juice bottles. Thanks so much for all the helpful ideas!

 

[NovaAman]

Spray the coops down with water from the hose for a little while. I give mine a good soaking, so that when I put my upper torso in, I can tell the before and after temps. Also, I freeze water in milk jugs, bungee cord them to the cross beams, or tie them in store plastic bags so they hang from the ceiling near enough where the birds are to help keep it cooler on those nights when its still in the 80s... Spray the run down... Spray the trees/bushes they like to hang out in down with water... If you have ever walked in the woods after a good soaking on a very hot day, you'll feel the difference... same thing with those shrubs they like to chill out in. Use an old sled, and fill it with cold water. They'll stand in it, or drink it, or both for that matter. Mine do both. Frozen 20oz bottles stuck in the waterer, chilled watermelon, or grapes if they are on sale... frozen fruit...

Now the reason for the fan on a hot day for wind is that the birds will stand in or near the wind path with there wings kind lifted... Someone, I don't remember who said they didn't know why a fan made a difference... well that is it... They lift the wings away from the body to cool themselves... The fan on a windless day helps.

Don't give electrolytes unless the bird is in distress. They should have plenty of their salt needs met already with their layer/flock raiser feed. Plenty of fresh cool water, plenty of shade to hunker down in, a fan if necessary... Poultry drench will work wonders for a bird in distress.

 

[NovaAman]

OH, frozen blocks of cooked oatmeal, spinach too.

 

[PrincessSweetChick]

This is a great bunch of ideas! Everyone here is a top-notch poultry enthusiast. It took me quite a while before I realized that you need a reflective tarp or sunshade!

 

[Nslangton]

First heat wave of the year and the girls looked quite distressed, I didn't even know chickens could pant. Ran to check out BYC for ideas and then frantically to the store to spend even more money on the supplies I needed. At this point I would have to sell my eggs for about 100 dollars a piece to recoup costs. We have heat in the coop, but didn't think about the extreme heat until now. The run is 1/2 covered, but gets full sun during the hottest part of the day. We bought a high velocity fan to blow through the run, a smaller fan for the nest boxes (I thought one girl would die in there while laying an egg she was panting so hard). Topped off the run with some peat moss for easy dusting. Ice bottles in the water tubs outside. Frozen honeydew, grapes, berries. Got two outdoor bamboo shades for the run that can block the sun on during the hottest part of the day and hosed the entire run down. Huge difference. The second day of the heat wave there were no signs of distress.

I am so thankful for this site, I have learned so many great things.

 

[citychickx6]

OK so I have read and read on keeping the ladies cool. One thing I can add is that right now at our local Sams store they have shade cloth that I am going to make into panels for them. It is not a finished tarp put rather like a bolt of cloth. It is 6' x 30' for 30 dollars.
It does not block 100 percent of the sun but does block about 75 percent. I like it since it is designed for outside and allows air and water through.
Last year we used regular tarps and WOW the weight of the rain on it was awful.

I am heading upstairs now to fill every empty soda bottle we have and stick them in the deep freeze.
WHY did I not think of that since I had done it for the bunnies we had years ago???