Hope I'm not missing something/4 hens lost to heat

[TexasChickenUnv]

<insert lots of tears, big discussion with kids about how "water in the dish" doesn't equal "the chickens have full, fresh water", confiscation of distracting electronic devices, and new Excel spreadsheet checklist posted on the fridge>

It was 107 here yesterday. We've been putting a box fan with ice jugs(frozen gallon milk jugs) in the hen house in the afternoons, so that was in place. Kids forgot to water the chickens yesterday; I estimate they went from about 11am(when I set up the fan & jug and reminded them yet AGAIN to do their chore) until 6pm when I found them without water.

We lost 4 hens; GLW & BR were already dead on the floor, Australorp lasted about 15 more minutes while I tried to cool her off in the house & hydrate her with a syringe. The 4th/Dom was an escapee; we found her body this morning.

Roo and a SLW of the same age survived, as did 4 banty hens & their broods of 8 chicks total--they go inside during the heat of the day, even though the run is completely shaded. Another banty on an outside nest(long story; she's nesting in DD7's Lil Tykes playhouse) plus the 2 pullets & 3 roos that are free range during the day were fine. Duh, they had water.

It's been 25 years since I raised chickens(so, you know, before the internet). I'm not missing some rampant disease, am I? Everybody was fine in the morning when I opened the hen house, everyone who survived is fine today, and no one exhibited or is exhibiting any symptoms of anything that I know of. I'm hopeful this is contained to a hard lesson to learn, and not something about to decimate the rest of the flock.

 

[froggiesheins]

Yes the heat CAN kill......especially when it is lasting SO long. Do you have high humidity too? You are being a good chicken mama by bringing them in the house during the hottest part of the day so you do not lose anymore. Maybe boost their diet with electrolytes [NO IRON] and give them some cold watermelon for a treat to help......

As a suggestion: why not put the kids out in the chicken pen with no water during the heat of the day????? Ya know what they say: An eye for an eye.......

 

[Leslieb118]

I would probably say it's heat/lack of water related, unless they start showing any other symptoms. Under normal circumstances, I had been keeping two 1 gallon waterers for 17 chickens, but I'm home during the day to check them. When we had the heatwave of 100-107 degree temps, I did the frozen jug thing, added a kitty litter pan that I kept full of water, and bought another 3 gallon waterer. I keep a gallon waterer in each coop (2) and the pan of water and the 3 gallon jug in the run. In one of the gallon waterers I add a packet of Sav A Chick on really hot days to replenish any lost vitamins and electrolytes from panting. My chickens love the kitty litter pan full of water. They stand in it when it gets really hot, and even now when it's not so bad. I've been saving milk jugs, and put one in the freezer, and a couple in the fridge to replace the water they walk in a couple of times a day.
I'm very sorry for your losses. I lost a chicken recently when we went out of town for a few days. I was nervous about letting my 18 year old son take care of them, but he did great. But the day after we left, something somehow got in the run and killed a huge rooster. Never had an issue with anything like that before and it happens the day after we leave. I bought the 3 gallon jug not only because it was going to be very hot while we were gone, but because I was worried my son would forget, or sleep in, or something... He was devastated that something happened during his "watch".

 

[SilkieSammiJo]

It's been very hot here in Nebraska also. I have misters going during the hottest part of the days here for the chickens. They seem to really like them. I also have a sprinkler going almost all of the time and my Sumatra hens will go lay under it when it's too hot out. When I move the sprinklers the hens and roos all flock to the area where the sprinkler was just at to lay in the cool, wet grass. Maybe you could try doing that for your chickens.