Heat vs Chickens = Death

[Red Barn Farms]

We hit 109.8 yesterday and 107.6 today. Luckily so far all is fine. I keep a water mister in their run and ice cold water as much as I can. They stay in the barn and only go outside late in the evening now. They just lay in the cool dirt of the barn and pant. We have a high barn roof so that helps some. I've hosed the roof down a few times daily too. Hope every ones chickens make it through this. Prayers go out to you all.

 

[Mahonri]

It's been over 110 every day this week.

I lost a beautiful Icelandic hen on Monday. She was laying at least 5-6 eggs a week. Looked like a rosecombed Light Brown Leghorn. She laid an egg at 4:45 PM, jumped down out of the nest box and died.

I have a big coop 8X10 and two grow out pens/coops that are 8X8 each.

I replaced the AC unit in the big coop yesterday and set the temp at 85. They are happy campers in there. No panting at all. And, they've learned to move the towel out of the way put over the pop door to keep the cool in the coop... it's funny to watch them at about 4PM...they'll run out into the run, feel the heat and run right back into the coop.

In the grow out pens there is only one side open with chicken wire... the north side. The south side of both stays in the shade almost the entire day... I put lots of fresh cold water in those and they live around the waterers.

Can't believe they've still got to live through July and August. YIKES!

 

[Red Barn Farms]

It's been over 110 every day this week.

I lost a beautiful Icelandic hen on Monday. She was laying at least 5-6 eggs a week. Looked like a rosecombed Light Brown Leghorn. She laid an egg at 4:45 PM, jumped down out of the nest box and died.

I have a big coop 8X10 and two grow out pens/coops that are 8X8 each.

I replaced the AC unit in the big coop yesterday and set the temp at 85. They are happy campers in there. No panting at all. And, they've learned to move the towel out of the way put over the pop door to keep the cool in the coop... it's funny to watch them at about 4PM...they'll run out into the run, feel the heat and run right back into the coop.

In the grow out pens there is only one side open with chicken wire... the north side. The south side of both stays in the shade almost the entire day... I put lots of fresh cold water in those and they live around the waterers.

Can't believe they've still got to live through July and August. YIKES!

So sorry to hear about your loss. Mine will do the same thing running out into the run area for a few seconds then it's right back inside the barn. I actually made a few get up yesterday and go back inside. Three of them started sun bathing in this HOT weather. I could not believe that. I guess they know what they want to do but I had to step in and put an end to it.

 

[gmendoza]

I lost a pretty Blue OEG Fowl Pullet this weekend due to heat stroke. I tried to help her by bringing her inside and cooling her down but it was no use. Besides she was the runt in the thirty chicks I got for easter. Seems like the sickly,old and runts die with extreme heat. The rest of the flock is ok,especially since the rain came and cooled it down like 20+ degrees.We will be fine now that its going to rain all week.

On the other side, we are getting soft boiled eggs again with this dreadded heat and humidity.

Good idear with that iced bucket Speckie-hen. Dont come down from them mountains any time soon,its hotter than belzebubs beard over here!

 

[speckledhen]

Sorry to hear about your losses, Mahonri and gmendoza. So far, none here, though Suede's crow sounded rather weak this morning. He's of a good old age for a rooster his size, going on 6 years, and I'm a bit scared for him and for Isaac, the Delaware who suffered the fungal infection last summer, another bad summer we had.

Last night, we got our first rain in about a month, a gullywasher/toad-strangler of a storm! It's a bit cooler starting out this morning so I let the main flock free range rather than making them stay in their pens and under the coop. I'll put them back in before 1 p.m., though.

Trust me, I won't come down from the mountain until after July 4th!

 

[nikki1]

I'm so sorry to hear of everyone's hardships. I've been following your heat wave on The Weather Channel (I geek out there...), and I've been thinking about chickens in the heat. Prayers go out to all of you.

I live in about the only cool part of the nation, but I was born and raised in the Mojave Desert, so I know heat and the troubles it causes. It always ticks me off when people here complain about chilly drizzle. People born here don't really get it, and certainly don't know how good they have it.

May you all have a pitcher of lemonade, an a/c, and a big 'ol fan today.

Love and prayers,
Nikki

 

[Chick1043]

I have been keeping ice cream buckets of water and ice all around the backyard and giving the frozen treats to peck at. I noticed they like to lay on the concrete where it's under shade and cool. They also have dust baths under the shade. Hope I don't loose any over the heat!!

 

[Cetawin]

I am sorry to read of the losses. I have been blessed so far...my crazy antics, military chicken compound and plain determination to drop dead with my birds before I lose any of them...no losses so far. I am as exhausted as they are. I am so glad I am retired because I would not be able to go to work and leave them here to fend for themselves in this mess.

I am still praying for all of us and our flocks.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

We had a nice little rain last night right before dark. Temperatures went into the low 80's and windy. The chickens must have thought it felt wonderful. They actually came out of the barn and walked around in the run for awhile before jetting back inside since it was their feeding time. It was nice to see them out and about after the heat wave of last week.

During the last of the heat wave I noticed the top half of a concrete birdbath laying in the barn under some old lumber. We just bought this property a year ago and still finding small treasures the last owners had left behind. Half a birdbath is not really a treasure for us but it sure turned out to be for my flock of chickens. The top is from a large birdbath so I rolled it on its end outside the barn and used the hose to wash it off. I then rolled it inside the chickens run and placed it in a corner and filled it with water.

Some of the chickens love standing in it, some don't. I'm not sure if its breed wise or what. My barred rocks and Australorps love it. The rest of the flock are not as keen in using it. If it works for some that's fine by me!

Is it cooling down where you live? It's suppose to be somewhat cooler this week with highs reaching the 90's which is so much better than the 110 last week!