Heat wave! Help!

[AmyMon]

from august 30th (tomorrow) to September 4th there is suppose to be a huge heat wave where I live. It is suppose to get to 108 degrees (Fahrenheit) which is concerning for my chickens. They have adequate shade but I’m still very concerned. Any recommendations?

We have had several five-or-more-day heat waves where I live as well, and this is our first year for chickens. They’ve done OK, and we did what everyone else suggested here — frozen watermelon, tops of strawberries, cut up bruised peaches, the shallow water bath, although they didn’t really get the idea of that. The last thing we did was purchase this bucket mister, which sits on top of a bucket of cold water or even a bucket of ice without power or a hose. Our coop is too far away from our house to do either of those. The battery that fits most power tools runs for about three hours: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-O...jJEDQSSYV7tw9OLI_cRoC8HgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[AmyMon]

We have had several five-or-more-day heat waves where I live as well, and this is our first year for chickens. They’ve done OK, and we did what everyone else suggested here — frozen watermelon, tops of strawberries, cut up bruised peaches, the shallow water bath, although they didn’t really get the idea of that. The last thing we did was purchase this bucket mister, which sits on top of a bucket of cold water or even a bucket of ice without power or a hose. Our coop is too far away from our house to do either of those. The battery that fits most power tools runs for about three hours: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-O...jJEDQSSYV7tw9OLI_cRoC8HgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Ours really like to eat fresh mint too, and that is supposed to cool their body temps.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'm dealing with the same thing. We're o ly getting up to 106, but, yeah. Frozen treats, watermelon, cantaloupe. Electrolytes to prevent dehydration.

I used to have a big ol box fan I'd put frozen bottles of water in front of. That was good. Shallow pans filled with ice that would melt as the day went on. They loved these sprinklers, too, turned on really low under a shady tree:

Now my coop has an air conditioner - lol! It's just a wall unit that was left at the house when we moved in.

 

[sdm111]

Get a sack of whole oats (race horse oats) fill a bucket about a 1/4 with oats then fill bucket up with water. Wait a day or so stirring and adding water if need be. Feed the swollen with water oats about 1 part to 3 parts feed. They'll love it and it'll get more fluids in them. The older and stickier the better. They will sprout too for an added treat.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I've tried misters. My silly birds were scared of them. But I know lots of people use them and love them.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

We had more days than I would like that were 100+ degrees here. I kept a 36" industrial fan running under the lean-to, kept their waterers sitting in the fans air flow and had several plastic trays with 1" high sides that I kept filled with cool water for them to stand in under the lean-to. I also put electrolytes in one of the buckets once a day to help with hydration. No one had issues with overheating.

Something to note as others have seen, when it gets hot your chickens will eat less. This is actually very normal. What is happening is that their body is slowing down processes that raise their internal body temperature. Digesting is one of these processes that causes their internal temperature to rise so when a chicken is hot their digestion process is slowed so it doesn't raise their internal temperature. That's why in the winter chickens eat more so they can raise their internal temperature through digesting more food.

 

[3KillerBs]

Shade, ventilation, cool water. Access to shaded ground where they can dig down to cooler layers is, IMO, nearly as important.

Are your birds already acclimated to hot temperatures that aren't this extreme -- like mine who brush off 95F and think 85 is a cool day -- or are they used to more moderate temperatures?

One thing rarely mentioned in these threads is that I don't disturb my birds during the hottest part of the day, not even to collect eggs. I want them to hang out in their shady foxholes staying as cool as possible.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

 

[katie_3487]

Freeze some blocks of ice, and place into water dishes.. Chickens will drink cold water, and will cool off. Sprinkle water hose nozzle on fine mist, into their run area. That will cool the ground via, evaporation. If you have a shallow pool, like a kiddie pool, fill with about 2 inches of water, and allow chickens to wade thru it.
Offer cold watermelon as treat, and maybe some frozen peas. Anything cold going into chickens stomach will help cool the chickens body overall.
If you can get a hold of misters, in short order. those would be more ideal than a hose sprinkling a gentle mist.
I have this, but I do not use for chickens,,, since I do not encounter very high temps in my area. Do set it up for my youngsters to have fun being cool.
View attachment 3241012
You can search to see where you can find closest to you. Above at TSC is available at my TSC currently.
Most other offers of sale are on line,, including Amazon. All depends how soon you can get it.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

Thank you so much!

 

[katie_3487]

Freeze some blocks of ice, and place into water dishes.. Chickens will drink cold water, and will cool off. Sprinkle water hose nozzle on fine mist, into their run area. That will cool the ground via, evaporation. If you have a shallow pool, like a kiddie pool, fill with about 2 inches of water, and allow chickens to wade thru it.
Offer cold watermelon as treat, and maybe some frozen peas. Anything cold going into chickens stomach will help cool the chickens body overall.
If you can get a hold of misters, in short order. those would be more ideal than a hose sprinkling a gentle mist.
I have this, but I do not use for chickens,,, since I do not encounter very high temps in my area. Do set it up for my youngsters to have fun being cool.
View attachment 3241012
You can search to see where you can find closest to you. Above at TSC is available at my TSC currently.
Most other offers of sale are on line,, including Amazon. All depends how soon you can get it.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

Thank you so much!

 

[3KillerBs]

(posting glitch won't clear until I post something).