Heat Stress: At what point should you intervene?

[ThePamperedChick]

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!

 

[ThePamperedChick]

I use water misters, they reduce air temperature and the chickens are less stressed.

 

[ThePamperedChick]

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!

Use a powerful box fan and blow air over the ice and water- instant AC. Install water misters, they connect directly to a garden hose or spigot and will lower air temperature dramatically. Don't wait until your chickens look stressed, it may be too late by then.

 

[HelloGiggles]

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.

Thank you so much for this! I just spent 15 minutes outside staring at my 18ish week old silkie rooster who is panting and holding his wings away from his body fighting the urge to bring him inside the house to snuggle him because I feel bad. It's good to have a reminder that he's just doing what he's supposed to do to cool himself down.