How hot is too hot for chickens?

[kmatt87]

yesterday it was around 95 here and my chickens looked pretty miserable. They had plenty of shade and plenty of water plus there was a slight breeze.

How hot is too hot for them though? I have a feeling this summer is going to get pretty bad. We were hitting 80's in march

 

[Judy]

I have read that 100 degrees is their limit. I keep a box fan running all summer, though my coop is large and very breezy. Mine sometimes stay in the coop during the heat of the day, for the shade, I think, but they have more outdoor shade this year so we'll see. We are too humid for a swamp cooler but you might be able to use one -- it is basically a fan blowing air through a rack of wet hay. When they start mouth breathing and holding their wings away from their bodies, they are suffering from the heat. I have actually bodily dunked them in a tub of water on awful days, I wet the soil, I shower water on them with the hose (which they hate) -- there are lots of ideas on here. I froze milk jugs of water for them to hang around, but they ignored them. For the most part mine survive on shade and lots of breeze. Every summer I read about people losing birds to the heat, though.

 

[bucky52]

I have fans running in the coop and also in the run.and when it gets up in the 90's my girls are still miserable

 

[artsy1]

I live in so. fla. and it is so hot. the heat index is about 100-110.
My chicks free range all day, so there are trees and shade. This is how they cope. I make sure they have alot of clean water and we will put fans in the coop this weekend, I know they need more cool air in there.

I can't really do much else.
I figure that for 100's of years chicks have had to survive in hot weather, I am trying my best. But they have to evolve.

 

[Jubilee1111]

We had the hottest summer in history last year - months and months of over 100 degrees without a drop of rain. I didn't lose any chickens but others certainly did. Seems like most of the birds that died were trying to find comfort in the shade of the coop but the airflow wasn't adequate.

A few times a day, I water down a huge patch of loose soil/mulch in the shade where a breeze blows through. They also lay pressed against the waterers and stand in plant saucers filled with water.

I think free ranging them so that they can choose the coolest spot at that time of day is crucial. I built an open air coop this spring so I was assured of their safety at night but they didn't have to be without constant airflow.

 

[kmatt87]

today i put a small, open frozen water bottle in their water to see if that helps and i also put some grapes and water in a freezer bag and froze it for their treat today I'm hoping that helps.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

We got well into the 90's yesterday. The girls all looked good, but were upset as the Tree Guys came out and trimmed our trees. The flock spent most of the day in the run, and hid under the coop when the workers were in the yard.

About 4:00pm, low 90's, I let them out of the run and they went strait back to normal...cruising the yard and forageing.

I don't see alot of heat issues with the birds. Their normal routine is to get out of the coop at ~5:00am, they cruise and eat for a few hours, they then find a shady spot in the yard and take a small nap and then back to forageing. During the heat of the day they are always in a shady spot, either in the run or under a tree. 1'sies and 2'sies will make trips to the waterer often as they lay in the shade during the heat of the day (I change the water frequently on hot days; upper 80's and into the 90+ would qualify as a hot day).

Once evening hits and the temperature drops they are out feeding getting ready to go to the coop at dark-thirty.

 

[Namasteci]

I live in AZ where the summers are well into 115 for weeks straight. I only had chickens for a year and a half, but I made it through last summer only loosing one, and that was most likely because their tub of water I normally see them soaking in was almost empty. Also, the hen I lost was almost all black and perhaps she absorbed more heat?? But each afternoon on my lunch break I would go home and throw a big ice block in the tub so they had a couple hours of a cool bath. That seemed to really help. Also check sites to see how they are rated for heat tolerance before you buy them. Your chickens won't evolve to meet your climate... That's not how evolution works. If you raise chicks for generations you'll just notice the breeds who tolerate the warmer climate will make it through year after year and be more successful. survival of the fittest...
Good luck!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2
Those in hot climates should avoid cold hardy breeds. There are great breeds accustomed to hot weather.
That said, most breeds handle cold better than heat.

 

[Hens rule]

Hot climates just mean that you should have a fan in your coop. Plenty of shade and LOTS of water.