Hens won't eat or drink in extreme heat- HELP!

[jrstrickland26]

I have 4 hens, all laying regularly (until today). We live in the south and we have had heat indexes over 100 degrees for over a week now.

My girls have access to shade, 2 waterers with nipples that until the heat have been fine for them, plenty of food and free ranging for a few evening hours each day.

I've also been giving them ice in their water to keep it cool, a shallow pool of cool water for wading and drinking, chilled watermelon, even ice cubes, frozen peas, frozen berries, etc.

Problem is- they aren't eating anything (some of the watermelon, but a lot goes to the ants). They won't drink anything- not from their regular bucket, not from the wading pool, nothing. They walk around panting, today no one layed an egg, and I'm just worried that either I'm doing something wrong or their stubbornness is going to kill them!

Help! I'm open to any advice to get my girls back on track, or at the very least get them to drink their dang water. What do I need to be doing differently or on top of what I'm already doing?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[16 paws]

I have 4 hens, all laying regularly (until today). We live in the south and we have had heat indexes over 100 degrees for over a week now.

My girls have access to shade, 2 waterers with nipples that until the heat have been fine for them, plenty of food and free ranging for a few evening hours each day.

I've also been giving them ice in their water to keep it cool, a shallow pool of cool water for wading and drinking, chilled watermelon, even ice cubes, frozen peas, frozen berries, etc.

Problem is- they aren't eating anything (some of the watermelon, but a lot goes to the ants). They won't drink anything- not from their regular bucket, not from the wading pool, nothing. They walk around panting, today no one layed an egg, and I'm just worried that either I'm doing something wrong or their stubbornness is going to kill them!

Help! I'm open to any advice to get my girls back on track, or at the very least get them to drink their dang water. What do I need to be doing differently or on top of what I'm already doing?

Thanks in advance!!!

When it gets that hot I set up a mister for them to cool them down. I bought one of the squiggly stand up ones from Home Depot. I think it was 12 dollars. You just hook it up to your hose and turn it on and it gives them a spray of real fine mist.
Besides the nipple waterers I would give them bowls of water or galvanized bucket waterers.Sounds like you are doing that. I think they are probably drinking water but are still just too hot. I know you said they had access to shade but make sure they have PLENTY of shade. Take frozen water bottles and lay them around so they can sit next to them. I have actually had to bring them into my garage at one point when it got to 110. They can certainly die in that kind of heat. Hope that helps.....
Marie

 

[Folly's place]

x2! They need to be in the shade! Mist/ wet down the coop roof, at least in the afternoon. Add a fan in the coop to provide good air flow. Select breeds that handle heat better too; not the cold weather types that work so well further north. Mary

 

[rides2far]

It was 108 here today. What we've done is set up 2 fans in the coop windows and a box fan on the ground in front of the run. We bought a line of misters from Lowes for about $35. We put them on the beam running lengthwise in the run. (About 10'). The misters have helped immensely. The ground stays damp & they can scratch & dig in it. They make little holes & lay in them. Their appetites are good & there's a little panting, but overall, they're doing OK.

 

[jrstrickland26]

Thanks, all! Unfortunately, its too late to choose heat tolerant breeds as I already have my chickens, haha.

With the misters....it is also very, very humid here, would the misting still help or will that make them just wet and miserable?
Also, when I said they have access to shade I guess I meant their coop is entirely in the shade, with temps still in the high 90s. Who's ready for Fall!? I know I am!

I will definitely try the misters and frozen water bottles idea! Thank you again!

 

[Folly's place]

Hot and humid is the worst! Mist might help, but maybe not. Ice in the waterers and cooler ground for dust bathing helps. Cooling off the roof with the hose definitely helps, and fans to move the air better. Mary

 

[centrarchid]

My birds have similar issues when it gets into high nineties and above. Egg production then suffers regardless of breed. You can get around part of the problem by making sure they have good food in early morning hours and just before going to roost. Feed intake will decline regardless with bulk of intake during cooler parts of the day. Cooler loafing areas will help but egg production will still shut down at some point. That is why CAFO's invest so much in their cooling and ventilation systems.

 

[eviemethugh]

Eating heats them up internally. So they are smart not to eat! It sometimes kills them. I spray mine down with a hose occasionally and make them little mud holes that they like to lay in. They don't like being sprayed with the hose but it stops their panting very quickly (I use a 25 gallon barrel with a hose and no pressure, it just dribbles on them, I'm not knocking them around)
If you can, our always fare better being let free. They find the perfect place with shade and a breeze and the free ones are never panting nearly as hard as the penned up chickens. Does your coop have plenty of ventilation? Find a way to securely prop open the nesting box too unless you have daytime predators.
It sounds like you are doing a lot of good stuff. Ours love frozen food but they don't all like the same thing. Try cucumbers, zucchini, squash sliced and frozen. Same texture as watermelon but a different flavor, they might eat more of it.
I've also heard some chickens like to lay on top of frozen 2 liter pop bottles or quart milk jugs.
Someone in this forum built a styrofoam cooler with ice and a fan system to make an redneck AC that sounded neat.
This heat has been awful! Good luck!!