Heat Wave and Chickens

[OC Chick]

Thanks everyone for your kindness, condolences and advice. Only chicken people "get it."

It says it will be 100* today (yesterday was supposed to be 110 but went to 113* in Rancho Santa Margarita). I'm hoping it won't go above 100* but it's already 94* out at 10 AM.

I turned on my hose mister as recommended and will pick up some watermelon at the store when I go to get more 10lb blocks of ice.

I have the Smart Chicken Coop made by a woman in the next city over. The nest box is a bucket filled with shavings that hangs inside the coop. The girls have turned it over before. I'm truly guessing it wasn't a predator as it was so hot no fowl or beast wanted to be outside. My girls have an enclosed run and a chicken yard, both full access all day long. They love to hang out in my front yard because there's more grass and shrubbery to range on (but they only go out there when I'm sitting out front with them).

Petunia was an Easter Egger with a small comb who spread her wings and panted long before any of the other girls would register temperature in the 80's. My other EE and 2 Australorps seem to handle the heat without any major issues. The Aussie's surprise me as they are heavier birds with thick fluffy feathers. My chickens only get treats of mealworms, kale, cucumbers (without the skin - ) or carrot tops occasionally. They are ridiculously picky eaters and turn their beaks up at most fruit and veggies, resulting in my hens being in their normal weight range.

I agree - climates getting hotter is not going away.

I guess when I think of farmers, I think of free ranging chickens in pasture all day long (like my Great Grandma used to have in Kansas), rather than the poultry houses. When you have cows, horses, pigs and wheat fields to farm, they didn't have the luxury of pampering their hens (not to mention in the early 1900's ice was a luxury purchased off the back of a truck). Do these types of farmers exist anymore? Or have we gone so commercial in our food industry? (which is why I started raising backyard chickens to begin with).

I"m just sad. Really sad. I wish I could say I didn't care, but that would be a lie. Broken hearted over a chicken. Thanks everyone for your kindess. You've made grieving possible. You are awesome.

 

[IamRainey]

Yes, it takes another chicken person to really understand and I hope the fact that we do understand and hurt with you is a comfort.

They give us memories as well as eggs. Your memories of her will be happy again in time. We give them the best life we can. You should congratulate yourself for all the time you did that and all the time you will continue to do that for your other girls and girls yet to come.

You did a GOOD job!

 

[IamRainey]

At noon it's 107˚ and close to as hot as it's supposed to get today. My chickens are moving freely around their run with their wings relaxed and no signs of panting.

So what's working and what's not? They've shown no interest in either the water saturated cinder block or the cool pine shavings on the ice block. They are avoiding the water from the lawn sprinkler (which I'm running every few hours) but several times I've found one laying in a hole she dug in the wet ground in the run.

They've been avoiding their crumbles for several weeks now but they're eating as much shredded cabbage & lettuce, cucumber and frozen fruit as I offer.

I've added homemade electrolytes to their waterer and I'm replenishing ice cubes every few hours. I have no idea how much they're drinking -- I haven't seen anyone at the waterer in weeks -- but hopefully they're getting their needs met with the water-intense fruits and veggies.

I am grateful for all the suggestions and contributions everyone's made to this thread. My chickens are doing MUCH better today and I'm more confident too. Here's to getting through the Summer and climate change as best we can!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

At noon it's 107˚ and close to as hot as it's supposed to get today. My chickens are moving freely around their run with their wings relaxed and no signs of panting.

So what's working and what's not? They've shown no interest in either the water saturated cinder block or the cool pine shavings on the ice block. They are avoiding the water from the lawn sprinkler (which I'm running every few hours) but several times I've found one laying in a hole she dug in the wet ground in the run.

They've been avoiding their crumbles for several weeks now but they're eating as much shredded cabbage & lettuce, cucumber and frozen fruit as I offer.

I've added homemade electrolytes to their waterer and I'm replenishing ice cubes every few hours. I have no idea how much they're drinking -- I haven't seen anyone at the waterer in weeks -- but hopefully they're getting their needs met with the water-intense fruits and veggies.

I am grateful for all the suggestions and contributions everyone's made to this thread. My chickens are doing MUCH better today and I'm more confident too. Here's to getting through the Summer and climate change as best we can!

Great job!

Yup, it was 107 just 20 minutes ago, and now the temperture dropped to 103! There's thunder in the distance...now, I'll have to worry about lightening strikes. Last Summer we had a fire started by lightening, just a two miles from our house.

 

[micstrachan]

There are a couple more little things I do... ice their water (I think you already do that?) on really hot days and bring the water to them. Almost forgot that today (though it wa only in the low 90’s here). My girls love to hang out under my neighbor’s tree. I usually keepva waterer over there, but had gone over to get it this morning to use elsewhere. After I realized over half my flock was over there this afternoon, I brought the waterer back and they all migrated to it immediately.

 

[micstrachan]

And I just realized my last post seemed a little heartless. I’m sorry. I have only suffered one chicken loss so far (Labor Day weekend 2017) and I still think about her and get misty eyed. They really do steal our heats and I’m sorry for your grieving heart.

 

[OC Chick]

And I just realized my last post seemed a little heartless. I’m sorry. I have only suffered one chicken loss so far (Labor Day weekend 2017) and I still think about her and get misty eyed. They really do steal our heats and I’m sorry for your grieving heart.

Thank you! Your post was definitely not heartless!

 

[lissalischicks]

I am sorry for your loss!!! I have been concerned about this sudden heat wave started. Like @IamRainey, I live in the San Fernando Valley as well and yesterday it was a killer... the inside of the hen house was 125 degrees. I spent all night checking on the chickens to make sure they were ok.
Here are some things I do:

• I have sand in my run and so I wet it down and the girls will dig a hole and lay in the cool sand.
• Freeze berries and grapes and give them as treats. Got watermelon today from VONS and they lady at the register was saying how good they were. I didn't tell her I was buying it for my chickens... LOL sometimes they don't understand.
• I have extra water containers, put water in at least so they are halfway full and freeze them overnight. In the morning I fill them up and leave them out.
• My girls free range but they do tend to come back to the run a lot and in the run I will leave out frozen gallon bottle and turn the fan and it does cool the area down. I've seen pictures of other people doing this and it looks like Christmas ornaments but it's all frozen water bottle. They also sit next to the frozen bottles.
• In the morning I will saturate the ground where they tend to hang out under bushes and trees so by mid afternoon when the heat is high it is still somewhat cooler.
• I will get a big fan and start airing our their house around 5pm. I will put a couple of frozen bottle in it to help with the cool down. It doesn't make it cool but it will bring down the temperature. I did this today and their temperature inside the house was 112 and within 30 minutes brought it down to 94 degrees. I know it's still hot but it is better than nothing.
• I have a fan directed to their nesting boxes so help with air flow during the day. I will also wrap a frozen water bottle in a towel and lay it on the edge of the nesting box. It brings helps them dramatically in my opinion.
• I also mix water with electrolytes with their feed. Since they eat less and drink less when it's hot it is like a 2 for 1 deal to me. My girls LOVE watered feed and it makes me feel better to know they are eating and getting some water in.
• I don't do this because my girls never cared for it... but you can put a pan with cold water and sometimes when they are hot they will dip their feet in it. You can put a brick in the pan and can stand on that and it will cool them down. I have dunked their feet in the cold water as it is suppose to help them cool down and I don't think it was something they liked but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Sorry didn't mean for this to be a long story but hope it helps! I would also love reading what other people do!

 

[OC Chick]

I am sorry for your loss!!! I have been concerned about this sudden heat wave started. Like @IamRainey, I live in the San Fernando Valley as well and yesterday it was a killer... the inside of the hen house was 125 degrees. I spent all night checking on the chickens to make sure they were ok.
Here are some things I do:

• I have sand in my run and so I wet it down and the girls will dig a hole and lay in the cool sand.
• Freeze berries and grapes and give them as treats. Got watermelon today from VONS and they lady at the register was saying how good they were. I didn't tell her I was buying it for my chickens... LOL sometimes they don't understand.
• I have extra water containers, put water in at least so they are halfway full and freeze them overnight. In the morning I fill them up and leave them out.
• My girls free range but they do tend to come back to the run a lot and in the run I will leave out frozen gallon bottle and turn the fan and it does cool the area down. I've seen pictures of other people doing this and it looks like Christmas ornaments but it's all frozen water bottle. They also sit next to the frozen bottles.
• In the morning I will saturate the ground where they tend to hang out under bushes and trees so by mid afternoon when the heat is high it is still somewhat cooler.
• I will get a big fan and start airing our their house around 5pm. I will put a couple of frozen bottle in it to help with the cool down. It doesn't make it cool but it will bring down the temperature. I did this today and their temperature inside the house was 112 and within 30 minutes brought it down to 94 degrees. I know it's still hot but it is better than nothing.
• I have a fan directed to their nesting boxes so help with air flow during the day. I will also wrap a frozen water bottle in a towel and lay it on the edge of the nesting box. It brings helps them dramatically in my opinion.
• I also mix water with electrolytes with their feed. Since they eat less and drink less when it's hot it is like a 2 for 1 deal to me. My girls LOVE watered feed and it makes me feel better to know they are eating and getting some water in.
• I don't do this because my girls never cared for it... but you can put a pan with cold water and sometimes when they are hot they will dip their feet in it. You can put a brick in the pan and can stand on that and it will cool them down. I have dunked their feet in the cold water as it is suppose to help them cool down and I don't think it was something they liked but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Sorry didn't mean for this to be a long story but hope it helps! I would also love reading what other people do!

Thank you! I appreciate all your ideas and tips!