Help! Are they overheating??

georgiapumpkin

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My babies are going on 10 weeks old Monday. I've had them in the coop for about 4 weeks now. I live in northeast Tennessee and the temperature has been so high the last week. I'm scared there overheating. They are panting and spreading there wings.
There is a run going from the coop to the yard. In the mornings I open the door so they can go to the yard. They do at first but then later I catch them back in the coop. I have a thermometer in there and it's getting up to 95 degrees !
There's an exhaust fan pulling hot air out and I have a fan blowing air in.
I finally have to go shoo them out of the coop and lock them in the yard just to make sure there not going to overheat. They have plenty of fresh water. I spray the ground to dampen it for them. I've tried to do the water mist but they freak out like the sky is falling in them.
I'm new to all this and I'm sure I've babied them from day one. They'll stay out in the yard as long as I'm there.
Is this all normal and eventually they will figure it all out or is there other things I should do to help them ? I've even put ice and berries in water for them.
Any advice would be so helpful.
Thanks
 
Do they have deep shade? If not, you can make some with a sheet of zinc roofing material leaned up against the coop (teepee style) for well under $30. Don't be tempted to buy the cheaper 'steel' roofing sheets, they'll rust quickly. A rubbermaid type tote with lid can be filled with water & gallon jugs (old milk cartons?) of ice; put the lid on the tote and all chance of drowning is eliminated. You can expect them to snuggle up to the cool sides of such a tote. Once they're adults, you can use this trick without the lid on the tote and they'll enjoy drinking the ice water throughout the day. Move your tote location every few days to allow the flock to enjoy the bugs that may have taken up residence underneath.
 
My babies are going on 10 weeks old Monday. I've had them in the coop for about 4 weeks now. I live in northeast Tennessee and the temperature has been so high the last week. I'm scared there overheating. They are panting and spreading there wings.
There is a run going from the coop to the yard. In the mornings I open the door so they can go to the yard. They do at first but then later I catch them back in the coop. I have a thermometer in there and it's getting up to 95 degrees !
There's an exhaust fan pulling hot air out and I have a fan blowing air in.
I finally have to go shoo them out of the coop and lock them in the yard just to make sure there not going to overheat. They have plenty of fresh water. I spray the ground to dampen it for them. I've tried to do the water mist but they freak out like the sky is falling in them.
I'm new to all this and I'm sure I've babied them from day one. They'll stay out in the yard as long as I'm there.
Is this all normal and eventually they will figure it all out or is there other things I should do to help them ? I've even put ice and berries in water for them.
Any advice would be so helpful.
Thanks
a sign that they are overheated is they hold there beak slightly open, the best thing you can do is to give them fresh water 2 times a day, it gets 95f on a normal bases and all i have are screens in the windows and no out side run and mine are fine
 
They need shade chickens don't like the sun beating down on them. To cool down chickens don't wet them, they need dust bathes to help cool them down.
 
Do they have deep shade? If not, you can make some with a sheet of zinc roofing material leaned up against the coop (teepee style) for well under $30. Don't be tempted to buy the cheaper 'steel' roofing sheets, they'll rust quickly. A rubbermaid type tote with lid can be filled with water & gallon jugs (old milk cartons?) of ice; put the lid on the tote and all chance of drowning is eliminated. You can expect them to snuggle up to the cool sides of such a tote. Once they're adults, you can use this trick without the lid on the tote and they'll enjoy drinking the ice water throughout the day. Move your tote location every few days to allow the flock to enjoy the bugs that may have taken up residence underneath.


The tote is a great idea and we save ALL our milk jugs because there great for all sorts of things.
Yes, the yard has shady trees inside. It's a 30x40 fences in yard. I've even seen them huddled against the tree basically on top of one another. The previous owner had blue tick dogs they trained so the coop is actually the old kennel. One whole side is open. They also left an old igloo dog house I put into the yard so they could run in there if they needed to. They even huddle there sometimes.
I tell them I know I babied you but come on. Lol
 
a sign that they are overheated is they hold there beak slightly open, the best thing you can do is to give them fresh water 2 times a day, it gets 95f on a normal bases and all i have are screens in the windows and no out side run and mine are fine

Some of them actually do have there beak open and there wings out some walking around.
 

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