reached 103* today, cooling off a little, 94* I ran the sprinkler for them earlier today too panting and notice their wings opened 3 month RIR's
Your pictures made me laugh (though I really feel sorry for the girls)! Our RIR and SLW look just like that, walking around panting and with their wings hiked up like they're airing out their pits! It's been over 100 lately and they're really struggling. The only thing I do is leave a number of bowls of water around the yard, in their favorite places, and keep putting in ice cubes. I try to get them to drink as much as possible. Mine definitely don't like a light spritz of water, unfortunately.
I ran a fan and froze big ice chunks that I added to their water a couple times a day. We were up there about a week ago. Maybe offer them frozen melon. Theres another thread here somewhere from the other week when alot of us had a heat wave.
I take their starter feed and put ice cold water in it and make a mash for them and they love it, I take frozen peas and put them in a dish with water for them in the heat of the day, try freezing watermelon chunks for them. I also have a big rubber bowl and I fill it 1/2 full of water and put a frozen gallon milk jug with water in the dish for icey water. I also went to Lowes and bought a mister for 12.00 and turn it on for a couple hours in the hot afternoon and they love playing in the wet dirt. I also have a big fan in the coop for them that I run all day and a small one at night if it is really hot. Trudy
I read somewhere that someone put water in old 2 liter plastic bottles and froze them and put them in the coop. They said chickens sometimes will lay near or on them to cool off. Poor babies, they look hot and uncomfortable.
Very helpful thread listed in the FAQ section: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5944
I have fans running all day, but they were still panting. So I installed a misting system last week. It helps alot. I also freeze water bottles and milk jugs, and just put them out in the coop and the yard for them to gather around. It seems to help. Oh, and today I gave them watermelon. They just loved it! But at $7.00 for a watermelon, they'd better love it!!
Oh my gosh my girls love watermelon too!!! It was stripped clean!!! I also have fresh water, misters and a fan on in my coop and run. There is lots of shade on the one side of my run too so they can get out of the direct sun.
It hit 113 here today... We've already had 11 days over 110 this year... Record is 17... we are on our way to beating that. I put ice in the waterer and they all gather round it. I spray the top of the coop.... I put dark shingles on.. big mistake. I have a fan that pushes hot air out of the coop. I also give them a little cool yogurt on top of their feed and they enjoy that.
