We are into our third day of record heat. So far, I have added frozen water bottles to their waterers (idea from this site which works great). They do seem to pant less after drinking the cold water. THe hen house is in the shade and I am letting them free range in the shade under trees. Should I run a hose with water sown the hill to them as well? I also have a brooder house. The chicks are not sufffering as much, but we did put a screen door on their shed to improve ventilation. Any other ideas to help them out would be great.
It was brutal here in SE PA also. They were freeranging and I ran a hose to water the ground but they were side steppng around the water. I had to go out so I ran the hose into their run and plopped every one of them in the cold water. No more panting! The cold water on their feet really did work. I let it trickle all afternoon in the corner and they were content to stay near it. At 3PM it was 102 and they were napping in the wet grass. Brenda
Mine have been fighting high 90's and 100 degree heat for 2 weeks. I keep water all over the place outside under shade and just everywhere but I feel like its not enough. I even feed watermelon rinds. How much can these birds take. I have Cochins and darn near every breed and I just know the Cochins have to be dying.
We've been having extreme heat and humidity here in Michigan, too. This past week we've had 105 degree heat index. I've kept them watered, fed, put a shallow water dish out in the run for them, fed them cold treats like watermelon and grapes. When I'm home they free range. Yesterday when shutting the, up for the night, I found a dead Barred Rock and a dead Dixie Rainbow (meat hen that I kept back -- she was four years old). Just so sad that they died in this way! Thankfully today, we return to normal temps in the mid eighties. One day too late, though. I also have three broodies. Two of them should have hatched out this week, but nothing. I think it may have been too hot for this, too. : (
