Help!!!Hot Chickens?

[rubysmom]

Okay, so after two solid monthes of worrying whether my chicks were too cold, now they appear to be too hot!!!

They are all panting and lifting their wings? It's almost 90 degrees, but they have plenty of water and shade. I also wet down the sand in the run and closed off the coop because it is getting super hot in there???? I have two huge windows and roof ventilation but yet it is over 90 degrees in there?

Is that normal, I mean, I'm sure it will cool off this evening but they seem pretty hot? Do I need to put another window in my coop, but then I'm afraid they'll be too drafty in the winter? It gets in the 20s sometimes. Do I need a fan, misters, air conditioning?

My husband is convinced that I am a complete nut. I just want my chickens to be comfortable and happy.
How hot is too hot for a chicken? We live in Oregon but it does get over 100 on occasion (global warming ya know

)

Please help. Who knew chickens were so complex?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I use a big box fan handing down from the rafters in my henhouse for hot summer days...both run doors open and a screen in the front door....plus make sure they are lots of fresh cool water...I change the water dishes acouple time a day on hot days....

 

[Oakland_Ranchero]

Misters work well.

Give them a half a watermelon that'll help cool them down.

Someone here had a great idea of freezing 2-liter soda bottles with water and putting them out for them. They love it!

Someone posted this earlier 10 Tips For A Cooler Coop

 

[rubysmom]

how hot is too hot? My daughter suggested we mist them with a spray bottle but they didn't seem to enjoy that

 

[rubysmom]

My brahma and wyandottes were still panting when they went to bed. Its about 80 degrees still. Should I be worried? I put a fan outside the window to blow cool air in but my husband thinks I am absolutley crazy!
Is panting bad?

 

[raindrop]

Hello fellow Oregonian! The weather sure changed fast on us didn't it?
My 7 week old chicks were panting when I got home, they have cooled off and only a couple were panting when I just checked on them. They will be okay. Panting just means they are warm, not dying.
Use a fan, open all the windows, and lots of cool clean water will help. Hope you are able to check on them tomorrow, supposed to be hotter. I'm going to take a fan out for mine in the am. I have a run, but is currently occupied by teenage ducklings and goslings for another day. Hope to have everybody moved to their permanent homes by Saturday.

 

[rubysmom]

Thank you Oregonian friend

I just checked them again and only my Light Brahma is still panting. Very happy to have the "panting is not dying" explanation. Definitely a rapid weather change for sure!
Are you in the south or the north?
Thanks againn

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

scarey for our chickens huh? Going from the 40s and 50s to 90s. I know my Fatty Patty (Barred Rock) was laying panting in the run today...and all the others where digging holes in the ground and trying to cool that way...I didnt know what to do but make sure they had water to drink???

Our coop did stay cool all day but the girls didnt want to go in till roost time...silly chickens! What will we do tomorrow when it will be HOTTER???

This is our set up with vents and fans...it helped keep it cool this evening, and i think the insulation kept it cool in the coop most the day!

Poor little hot chickys

 

[Jolyn]

I posted something similar today. It was about 100 here and my nine were panting horribly. I was in panic mode. I honestly thought they could fall down dead any minute.

I brought four of them in the house because they just did not look good.

I have tons of plastic water bottles freezing in the freezer for tomorrow.

I need to go check on my girls and see how they are now.

 

[Cetawin]

Hello Oregonians! What the heck happened to our cool weather? geez. My 6 girls were not happy with me at all. They look at me like it was all my fault! I gave them my fan as a peace offering.

Sheesh. I am not liking this heat...warm is okay but I left Florida to get away from this stuff! hehehehehe