heat stroke in florida..what to do.

[Country Living Farm]

I have lost four, three week old chicks to the heat. Does anyone have suggestions on how to keep them cool.

 

[Boondachs]

my god, how hot is it? plenty of water and shade (like a tarp - not a boxed up coop) and I would think youd be fine.

 

[poultryhaven]

its been almost 100 lately it was 95 in ocala yesterday

i hate the heat

 

[ranchhand]

If they're in the coop, I set up a box fan for them.

Some of mine were out free ranging in the woods yesterday and were breathing open mouthed. It was only 92F yesterday, and the woods are very shady. I think the 98% humidity played a large part in it.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Idea:

Set closed, frozen water bottles or milk bottles where they enjoy hanging out. Now's a good time to offer chilled watermelon, canteloupe or other cold goodies. Between them using the frozen bottles to reduce external temps and eating chilled goodies to reduce their internal temp and rehydrate them, this should help quite a bit.

Does their area have plenty of air circulation, "a breeze?"

Good luck and I hope that you are spared the loss of any more of your babies.

 

[~SunSetsWest~]

Where are you keeping them? My temp was 90F in my mostly open air coop yesterday, and that is under trees.
It's plain old flippin hot out, everyone is open mouth panting with wings out to cool them.. I have had no loss due to the heat though. Keep the water cool and maybe some electrolytes in the water...

 

[CoopCrazy]

I also give mmy girls a good misting with the hose .. Cools em down quick...

 

[Lorettawyandotte]

I mist the ducks and geese several times a day and empty and refill their pools in the heat of the day...I freeze gallon jugs of water to place in the brooder with my baby bantams right after lunch when it starts to cook up in their building...I keep wet spots in the sand in the chicken runs where they scratch about and half bury themselves to keep cool...watermelon and frozen tomatos are a big hit...going to be another scorcher today...

 

[Country Living Farm]

Yep, put a fan on them today. I will try the frozen water thing and I started to water them down as well. We gave them watermelon the other day as well. They are under roof with shade and open to the wind but still it is HOT!!!!!!!!! I just hope I do not get home and find more gone. I can not afford to buy more of them and the fertile egg prices are killing me.

 

[jjthink]

Fans are crucial. Some folks also use misters that bring the overall air temp down (there is a good amount of info about this on BYC, don;t have the links handy at the moment....). Keep water fresh and cool.
I don't know how many birds you have, but whenever there's been extreme heat in my area, I bring my birds inside till it passes (basement where it's cool), but then I only have had a few birds at any given time...
JJ