Heat Stress: At what point should you intervene?

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

With temps heating up fast here in SWVA, I'm wondering if anyone has any pointers in telling when chickens have passed the line between "normal" response to heat and heat stress to the degree that they need emergency intervention.

We've only gotten into the low to mid 80s, humid, and so far only one of my gals seems to be suffering (2 y/o GLW)--she's always the first to get hit by the heat. I have cool troughs of water with large ice blocks I replace throughout the day, covered run + shade tarps over the roof, rechargeable but still powerful fans (one pulling air into the small coop and another blowing through the run), and I'll periodically bring out frozen watermelon and lace their water with rooster booster. I have a dunk bucket that I keep in the run later in the summer, but the GLW currently is wearing vetwrap boots because she's mending from bumblefoot. With no electricity out there, there's not much else I can do.

I'm worried about my GLW who is already showing signs of heat stress, when temps will only get hotter. Right now she's panting and holding her wings away from her body, but still walking around, talking and eating (though slightly paler than usual). I'm ready to swoop in and take her to the hospital pen in the cool basement when need be but don't want to jump the gun.

So, how do you all tell when your hens have moved from mere discomfort to illness from the heat?

Thank you, friends!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

As long as she walking around and eating I'd leave her be. Panting and holding wings away are ways for them to cool down. Chickens need to acclimate to warmer temperatures just as they do to colder.

Here we hardly ever get over 90 degrees, so hopefully those living in a hotter climate can give better advice.

 

[azygous]

As long as a chicken is responding to the heat by panting, holding wings out and away from the body to expose wing pits to let air circulate and cool their blood supply, and they are drinking and perhaps digging heat exchange craters to lie in, they are responding normally.

The alarm goes off when you start seeing a chicken with poor balance, stumbling, uneven gait, bright cherry-red combs and wattles instead of the normal dusky red color, that's when you need to cool them down and administer electrolytes.

A chicken that is lying motionless on their side, barely conscious, perhaps shaking as if having a seizure is in full medical emergency and must be removed to a cool place, cold compresses applied to wing pits and abdomen, and syringed a sugar water-electrolyte solution.

When it's very hot in summer, I hose down the sand in my run so my chickens can dig craters to cool themselves in. I also dump several trays of ice cubes in a large pan for them to move around with their feet and they drink every bit of the melt water. I also have a fan going to move the air around.

Beware of the overuse of electrolytes as they can cause salts to accumulate in the tissues, causing future health disorders. I reserve the use of electrolytes to treat an immediate health issue.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

As long as she walking around and eating I'd leave her be. Panting and holding wings away are ways for them to cool down. Chickens need to acclimate to warmer temperatures just as they do to colder.

Here we hardly ever get over 90 degrees, so hopefully those living in a hotter climate can give better advice.

Thank you. I was worried if I pamper her too much she won't acclimate so I'm glad you said that. I'm just worried her boots are making her unreasonably uncomfortable. I let them out to (supervise) free range now that it's cooler. She's still panting with wings out but is active (which doesn't help her cool down lol). I'll keep an eye on her.

As long as a chicken is responding to the heat by panting, holding wings out and away from the body to expose wing pits to let air circulate and cool their blood supply, and they are drinking and perhaps digging heat exchange craters to lie in, they are responding normally.

The alarm goes off when you start seeing a chicken with poor balance, stumbling, uneven gait, bright cherry-red combs and wattles instead of the normal dusky red color, that's when you need to cool them down and administer electrolytes.

A chicken that is lying motionless on their side, barely conscious, perhaps shaking as if having a seizure is in full medical emergency and must be removed to a cool place, cold compresses applied to wing pits and abdomen, and syringed a sugar water-electrolyte solution.

When it's very hot in summer, I hose down the sand in my run so my chickens can dig craters to cool themselves in. I also dump several trays of ice cubes in a large pan for them to move around with their feet and they drink every bit of the melt water. I also have a fan going to move the air around.

Beware of the overuse of electrolytes as they can cause salts to accumulate in the tissues, causing future health disorders. I reserve the use of electrolytes to treat an immediate health issue.

Great ideas. I'm thinking of switching to sand and this makes me even more interested. Unfortunately because the gal in question is in vetwrap boots, I can't let them get wet n' wild like I normally do (with misters, etc.). Hopefully she'll be healed up soon.

She's currently out in the yard for supervised free ranging, running around and foraging even though she still appears hot (wings out and panting). But she seems happy so I don't want to force her inside. I hope she cools down before bedtime.

Thank you! Good to know about electrolytes!

 

[bhawk-23]

If I could please hijack your post I'd be most appreciative!

It's hot here! Chickens are hot! Locked them into the shaded fenced area and they have plenty of water. I know they are still acclimating and trying not to freak out.

BUT! My broody who is inside the coop is panting and stressing me out!! I put up solar shades on the sunny side, the entire side of the coop is open and has a fan on moderate speed blowing in but not directly on her. Water is within reach of her nest and she did jump off for about 5 minutes. At what point do I need to worry? She is coming off some of the eggs, kinda just poking them out a little, I'm assuming it is just so hot under there! Any ideas to help her through this heat wave??

Thanks!

 

[dennisma1]

If I could please hijack your post I'd be most appreciative!

It's hot here! Chickens are hot! Locked them into the shaded fenced area and they have plenty of water. I know they are still acclimating and trying not to freak out.

BUT! My broody who is inside the coop is panting and stressing me out!! I put up solar shades on the sunny side, the entire side of the coop is open and has a fan on moderate speed blowing in but not directly on her. Water is within reach of her nest and she did jump off for about 5 minutes. At what point do I need to worry? She is coming off some of the eggs, kinda just poking them out a little, I'm assuming it is just so hot under there! Any ideas to help her through this heat wave??

Thanks!

.lol my buff O named Buffy is the broody queen . I have same issue in heat with her. She stays in coop even though it's 90 and won't come out to eat or drink. Since I have no roosters and she's wasting her time I shove her in a crate in the ac in the house. Or occasionally a bucket of water then the house. I worry about her. We call her crazy Buffy.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I

If I could please hijack your post I'd be most appreciative!

It's hot here! Chickens are hot! Locked them into the shaded fenced area and they have plenty of water. I know they are still acclimating and trying not to freak out.

BUT! My broody who is inside the coop is panting and stressing me out!! I put up solar shades on the sunny side, the entire side of the coop is open and has a fan on moderate speed blowing in but not directly on her. Water is within reach of her nest and she did jump off for about 5 minutes. At what point do I need to worry? She is coming off some of the eggs, kinda just poking them out a little, I'm assuming it is just so hot under there! Any ideas to help her through this heat wave??

Thanks!

If you're worried I'd put her in broody jail (crate in AC like the above post mentions). It'll snap her out of it, and in the meantime you won't have to stress over her.

I worry about my neighbors' chickens going broody because they have a big ventless shed as a coop. I cringe thinking of it. Luckily mine seem to avoid broodiness in the summer--but I have an indoor "hospital pen" just in case anyone gets ideas!

 

[bhawk-23]

I

If you're worried I'd put her in broody jail (crate in AC like the above post mentions). It'll snap her out of it, and in the meantime you won't have to stress over her.

I worry about my neighbors' chickens going broody because they have a big ventless shed as a coop. I cringe thinking of it. Luckily mine seem to avoid broodiness in the summer--but I have an indoor "hospital pen" just in case anyone gets ideas!

Ah, yes, the things we learn the first year of chicken tending is vast! I will be more cautious and aware of weather and the location of the nest before setting fertilized eggs in the future.

Fortunately, our weather is a bit cooler and therefore the coop is back to functioning. Hubs tried to situate the coop to get sun in the winter and shade in the summer. But what we did not account for was the intense shadeless sun the coop sustains from sunrise to about 10 am. And when it's in the mid 90's it's KILLER! My solar shades are working quite well to protect the coop and it's not gotten suffocatingly hot during that time. If she wasn't broody she would be in the shaded run at her will, but being broody she is staying put. Lol

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Ah, yes, the things we learn the first year of chicken tending is vast! I will be more cautious and aware of weather and the location of the nest before setting fertilized eggs in the future.

Fortunately, our weather is a bit cooler and therefore the coop is back to functioning. Hubs tried to situate the coop to get sun in the winter and shade in the summer. But what we did not account for was the intense shadeless sun the coop sustains from sunrise to about 10 am. And when it's in the mid 90's it's KILLER! My solar shades are working quite well to protect the coop and it's not gotten suffocatingly hot during that time. If she wasn't broody she would be in the shaded run at her will, but being broody she is staying put. Lol

We have the same exact problem!! The girls get baked from sunrise till a bit before noon but are luckily in deep shade by the afternoon heat. I ended up using a bunch of shade tarps that have taken the edge off. I'll have to check out solar panels!

Good luck beating the heat with your flock! I used to be a sun-worshipping summer gal until I got chickens. Now I get anxious whenever the temps get 80 and above--more than they even do lol.

 

[bhawk-23]

We have the same exact problem!! The girls get baked from sunrise till a bit before noon but are luckily in deep shade by the afternoon heat. I ended up using a bunch of shade tarps that have taken the edge off. I'll have to check out solar panels!

Good luck beating the heat with your flock! I used to be a sun-worshipping summer gal until I got chickens. Now I get anxious whenever the temps get 80 and above--more than they even do lol.

These are just the black out/heat blocking curtains we are no longer using. Probably from Walmart years ago. But they are working quite well! Their overnight run and daytime fenced run are completely shaded which is great! Until you have a broody in the coop all day. hahahaha

I'm back to loving the heat, within reason of course, since putting these up. Hopefully you can too!