Heat Stroke?

[ClareScifi]

Interestingly, only the sick girl went under the house. The healthy girl wouldn't have anything to do with under the house, which really made me wonder what was under there.

It might be that the sick girl ran a fever that made her seek out the cooler area under the house? I suspect that was the case.

 

[dainerra]

if there was lime and other things under the crawlspace, it is also possible that something there made her sick.

honestly, it could be any of a million and one things. With access to shade and cool water, there really isn't much more that you could have done even if you had been home.

 

[ClareScifi]

Yes, and dark-feathered birds get hotter, I read. She was a Plymouth Rock. Someone had told me no icky mud in the run, so I was hesitant to put puddles in there. I did have a nice-sized bowl of water in there for her to stand in.

No humidity that day, though, or very low. I don't live in a humid climate.

 

[ClareScifi]

I have wondered whether someone might have thrown out something rotten she ate, though she seemed fine when I left. I did find some lemon halves in the run, and I didn't put them there, but I don't think that would have done it. It is so haunting not knowing, and way too late for an autopsy.

I just hope the chicks hatch so her sad surviving sister will have some coop mates for the winter. She was more than willing to go broody upon her sister's death. Interestingly, she had never shown any interest in going broody before, though her sister always had. Maybe she was brooding so much about losing her sweet sister that she decided to go full-scale broody, in remembrance of her broody sister. It's a pleasant thought, anyway.

 

[cliniclvn]

Wow, this page really made me worry about my girls! They are only 9 weeks old, but I don't want to lose any! They are perfectly fine I think, but I did just introduce a couple of measures to insure they won't over heat! They are very cute the way they like to walk through a small pan of water to get their feet wet I think that is a great idea for them. Also, dampening a part of their run pleases them as well. Good ventalialtion in the coop itself seems pretty imperative since they will be spending more time there when they get older.

 

[AmyLM]

dehydration maybe?? I nearly lost one of my polish girls this week from it. I got water with electrolytes into her and she perked up within a few mins. Just a thought. Its also about 95-98 degrees here in Dallas and some of my hens are 100% ok while others are not doing as well. My poor polish are suffering. Ive put a spray mister set up in with them (will take pics later) it hooks to the garden hose. The birds seem to love it

It looks like this: (image from google images)



And here is where we picked ours up from: Home Depot. Not bad for $10.
(link to see more about it)

Oh and one more thing... Be sure to not have much pressure on your hose... we honestly baerley have ours on at all and its enough for a good amount of mist. We only run it during the really peak heat time of day. And the chickens just sit there like its the only place in the world they want to be

 

[seminolewind]

I almost killed a silkie twice with dehydration. Now they have a bigger waterer, a very open coop and 2 fans running.

For the rest, when they are panting, I run the hose on the ground to make a big puddle. They all get their feet in there and don't pant anymore. So I guess it does it's job.

 

[Janiecoke]

Went to look at some birds a man was selling. I ended up being given a Doninique he that he thought got to hot. He threw her in a barrel and I asked if I could have her. She wasn't dead but for the last 6 days I expected to go out and find her dead. She could not stand or keep her eyes open along with just falling over. Today I got home and she was walking around clucking. This evening I go to the pen and she has flown out. Ok she is or was in a pen I am adding and don't have net on the top yet. She acts no different than the rest as of this evening and FLEW out a very tall pen. Ok all 32 of mine are almost like pets. I am not sure what he was thinking by throwing her away when she wasn't dead but she is good now after 6 days

 

[dracoe19]

If she had a full crop that could have contributed to heat stroke if that is what she had died from.My friend lost a red sex link to heat stroke around the same tempurature. It depends on the bird and the day. One way to help prevent heat stroke is as everyone else has said lots of water and shade but also cut their feed back by a lot. On hot days I barely feed my chickens. Just enough to tide them and once the sun starts setting and the tempurature is much lower I give them more feed. It's not 100% guarentee against heat stroke but it helps prevent it. Some times birds just die for no reason. Maybe they were sick, maybe they had a tumor, illness or other ailment but sometimes it is just a mystery. Don't feel guilty or worry you could have done something else. I have found a chicken healthy and happy come back 1 hour later and they were dead. Never knew what happened and never will... Sorry you lost your hen. It's always a huge bummer .

 

[jotebo]

Today I found my Buff Orpington down. Panting and she couldn't stand up. Her waddle was hot. I quickly set her in a pan of water to cool her belly. (she normally would fight me handling her but not today) I poured water over her and got cool water under her feathers and under her wings. Then I eye dropped her electrolytes in sugar water. She is in a cage in the a/c shed now and seems better. At least she can stand (earlier her feet were limp) and her waddle has cooled off and stopped panting. She is still only cooing a little.
I found she had laid an egg, maybe she got to hot in the nesting box. I only have 2 chickens, the other a Black Australorp is fine. I would love to put an a/c in their little coop, but my husband would really think I'm crazy. I will need to set up a fan in the coop.
It was hot today in the mid to high 90's. Their run is in the shade. Maybe I will think about a water pan for them to walk through to cool off. Not sure what else to do. I will also put the electrolytes in their water the rest of the summer.
Does anyone have any other suggestions?