Hens walking around with their (shoulders, wings out)

[Shortblondemommy]

2 of my hens walk around with their shoulders out. I’m new to chickens and I’m not sure if they are over weight or if there is something else wrong. Nothing else’s seems wrong, one of them is moulting.

 

[The Phantom]

They are probably hot. Are they panting too?

 

[Shortblondemommy]

 

[Shortblondemommy]

They are probably hot. Are they panting too?

No panting, the high here today was 84. They are under a tree and full shade from the house all day, they aren’t kept in a cage, if hot is the case how should I attempt to keep them cooler? I am nervous about the heat because it will be in the 100s this summer.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

2 of my hens walk around with their shoulders out. I’m new to chickens and I’m not sure if they are over weight or if there is something else wrong. Nothing else’s seems wrong, one of them is moulting.

April is a strange time for a hen to be molting. Does your chickens have sufficient shade? Cold water etc is useless when given to a chicken to drink. They need shade just like the Gray and Red JUNGLE fowl that our chickens are descended from.

Some of the feed laying on the ground looks old. Are you feeding to much? in other words are you killing your chickens with to much kindness. Skip ever other days' feeding until all the lose feed is all consumed then skip one day in each week and feed twice a day only as much as they will eat in 30 minutes. Also the ground (Earth) in your photo looks cracked and hard, a little more water may help.

 

[Ducklover2]

No panting, the high here today was 84. They are under a tree and full shade from the house all day, they aren’t kept in a cage, if hot is the case how should I attempt to keep them cooler? I am nervous about the heat because it will be in the 100s this summer.

those chickens are hot. To try to keep them cool have a cool source of water near them so they can drink when they get dehydrated.

 

[Shortblondemommy]

those chickens are hot. To try to keep them cool have a cool source of water near them so they can drink when they get dehydrated.

We have 3 water sources for them, and they are checked everyday. Would a misting system help?

 

[Shortblondemommy]

April is a strange time for a hen to be molting. Does your chickens have sufficient shade? Cold water etc is useless when given to a chicken to drink. They need shade just like the Gray and Red JUNGLE fowl that our chickens are descended from.

Some of the feed laying on the ground looks old. Are you feeding to much? in other words are you killing your chickens with to much kindness. Skip ever other days' feeding until all the lose feed is all consumed then skip one day in each week and feed twice a day only as much as they will eat in 30 minutes. Also the ground (Earth) in your photo looks cracked and hard, a little more water may help.

They won’t eat the corn, it is old I bought them a bag of scratch and it had whole corn in it and they won’t touch the whole corn. So I should water the dirt?

 

[ButteCA]

One of my hens were doing that the other day. I thought she was hurt at first but I figured she was hot or something. She stopped when she came into the shade.

 

[Shortblondemommy]

One of my hens were doing that the other day. I thought she was hurt at first but I figured she was hot or something. She stopped when she came into the shade.

Well you live close to me so I’m sure that’s the case then. I’ll have to figure out a way to keep them cooler. Maybe a misting system!