Heat exaustion?

beehappy4ever

Songster
8 Years
May 3, 2011
168
4
101
Phoenix, AZ
Yesterday evening I came in to find one of my buff orphington's dead in the coop. She was still warm and I had seen her an hour before that walking around the yard. Both her and her sister (I called them Nicki and Paris Hilton because they are bratty birds) have been exceedingly healthy girls. She was laying daily, no marks of any kind on her, she is one of the top birds in the flock. I am wondering if maybe it is the heat. We had temps above 100 yesterday and although the birds have shade and water they are not always smart enough to go to either. She was a year old but last summer was in the brooder int he garage during summer and only was moved to the coop in late summer. I worry that I might lose more birds. This has been the most problematic flock I have ever raised but she was one of the only ones that has NEVER been sick or had issues. Even if she was a brat I am sad to lose one of my girls.
 
With temps like that, I would think heat stroke was definitely a possible cause. Sorry for your loss. I just keep plenty of cold water around during the heat spells here in Ohio. It's often in the upper 90s, and I can't imagine temps in the 100s.

Some things you can do, is add shade cloth, or even fans to the coop, and even spray a fine mist on your birds when they're out in the run our free ranging.

Don't feed scratch because that increases body temps in a chicken.

If you can, feed them some chilled watermelon or cantalope, or even put some ice in their drinking water.

Again, so sorry for your loss and I hope you can keep your hens cool,
Sharon
 

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