Heat Wave in WA

[HomeFarmlove]

We are expecting high 90s this weekend. I have 8 19 week old chickens. My Chuckoo Marans has been panting at 80 degrees and today her mouth is open a lot. On hot days I have been putting out a large pan of water with ice cubes in it as well as giving them cucumber and watermelon. It is not doing enough for her and as it is going to be even hotter over the weekend I am worried about her. Anything else I can do to help her out?
Thank you.

 

[Aunt Angus]

We are expecting high 90s this weekend. I have 8 19 week old chickens. My Chuckoo Marans has been panting at 80 degrees and today her mouth is open a lot. On hot days I have been putting out a large pan of water with ice cubes in it as well as giving them cucumber and watermelon. It is not doing enough for her and as it is going to be even hotter over the weekend I am worried about her. Anything else I can do to help her out?
Thank you.

I have a few ideas that I've used when it's clearly too hot for my bird (usually my Welsummer, who, oxymoronically doesn't do well in summer):

1) Dip her in water and let her air dry
2) Bring her inside
3) Put A/C in the coop

 

[Ciggynel]

Im in Texas and its hit high as 108! We have weeks more of scotching temps. I bought a pen and bring my hens in around 11:00 am when temps start to climb. An AC garage works good if you have the space. As you probably know chickens are messy so be prepared to lay newspaper or wash out. Wetting them down helps but with that many chickens might be a good idea to create a cool zone using a mister like the ones that put out a super fine mist.
You can get a pop up pen they work good just get one that has a top screen u can unzip and removable bottom. They are useful if you have to tend a sick chicken u need to separate from the flock.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0036WQFQM?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00J841594?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

Providing an additional waterer filled with electrolytes/ save-a-chick is helpful during excessive heat. Freeze water bottles & put them in the waterer - will keep it cool much longer than cubes. I can fit 2 in a gallon waterer. Hose down the ground & surrounding bushes. A fan is helpful too. Plenty of shade. I'm in FL & it's not unusual for me to change the water 3-4 times a day. Fortunately I only have 3 chickens, but I have 6 waterers placed all around the yard as mine free range.

 

[HomeFarmlove]

Thank you all! These are great ideas. I am freezing water bottle tonight. I will get some kind of pen for my garage, which is not near as hot. They have a great coop and run under a huge cedar tree, so mostly good shade as well as shade under the coop. I am doing electrolytes in the water, and ice cubes in the water but frozen water bottle in there is something I didn’t think of. My Chuckoo Maran became worse suddenly, not able to walk well. So I brought her inside and gave her electrolytes, watermelon and some seed. She ate some of all, but hasn’t fully recovered. And, she was having watery diarrhea but now seems to be settled down in her pen in the laundry room. If she is walking well in the morning I will put her back out in the run until the heat gets warmer. Then I will bring them all in. Thank you again for all your help!

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

Mine drink an awful lot of fluids when it's hot & so their poop is very watery. I don't worry about it as it's an input/output response. Some have a pool/large pan so the chickens can stand in it & cool themselves. Good luck!

 

[HomeFarmlove]

Thank you again for your help. I do have a large pan in there that that walk into, but a little pool would be even better. Jane (Chuckoo Maran) is limping and I think she may have sprained one of her legs when she was all wobbly yesterday. Is that possible?

 

[HomeFarmlove]

I have put Jane in her own little area under the coop. And made it all deep shade. I thought as her left leg is weak she needed to be separated and also not able to move around so much. She is in her own little 4x4 area under the coop and the other birds can see her. My two Silver Laced Wyandottes are aggressive and I was worried they would harass her. But I didn’t want Jane to be away from the group as sometimes they do not intergrate back in as well. Any advice is very welcome : )

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

Thank you again for your help. I do have a large pan in there that that walk into, but a little pool would be even better. Jane (Chuckoo Maran) is limping and I think she may have sprained one of her legs when she was all wobbly yesterday. Is that possible?

Anything is possible, but check her feet for any abnormalities - bumblefoot is a possibility. I've never dealt with it, but see an awful lot of folks do.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do they have shade?