How hot is too hot?

[bheila]

Quote:
I live in Kent, Wa. Make sure they have plenty of shade and water. I wet their fenced area 25'x50' several times a day. Then in addition to that I leave the hose on mist for them. It really does seem to help. Are you going to process them yourself?

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
If you are west of the Cascades, you don't need to worry.

I'm on the Washington Coast, 39 miles upstream from Astoria and 4' above sea level. It's not heat that hurts my birds, it's the wet in the Spring if I try to start pasturing them too soon in the Spring.

 

[silkiechicken]

I've a had a few flip early summer when temps spiked into upper 70's, on the day of the butcher!!! However, the first 7 weeks of their lives were spent in that good ol 45-50F weather so they weren't ready although they'd been outside since a week old or so.

 

[pdpatch]

Generally at 80 degrees the chickens won't be panting to much and trying to stay cool. anything above that and they can waste energy you want them to use for growing. Our one conish cross survived 85 degrees in his pen just before butcher, he was at 10 weeks.


Fans work well or if a problem you can make a cheap swamp cooler to help keep then cool.

Tom

 

[dlhunicorn]

There is a nice chart showing how to gauge heat and danger to your birds...also gobs of articles on how you can help your birds deal with heat stress:
http://backyardchickens.yuku.com/topic/639

 

[LoneCowboy]

I got the desk one with the detachable solar panel. it's 5.5 x 5.5. I think I'm going to put it in the window, just to get the air moving.

 

[ashyannehand]

I live in South Mississppi on the Gulf Coast and it has not been 75 degrees during the day in months. You lucky guys. It is very hot, around 95-100 degrees every day and humid 24/7. I make sure my chickens have plently of cool water and I also give them cold treats such as cold watermelon, which they love. They do fine as long as they are able to get out of the blaring sun and have plently of fluids. Good luck!

 

[Judymae]

Thanks LoneCowboy!! I will try anything.....it's suppose to be over 100* again today.

 

[Dumb Kluck]

I live in the foothills of Northern California & we are having a hot, dry spring & summer. It's so warm out that this mornings hatch is all over mom instead of under her LOL.
Besides the shade cloth and bamboo shades over the west end & top of the main run, I have a mister on a hose timer that doesn't get the brood pen wet but dampens the larger pen surrounding it, pre-cools the ambient air & adds some humidity.
The chicks are curious about and using the 1 liter bottles with water nipples at the edges of the nest already, and I put a gallon water dispenser about 8" away. They are curious about food already too. I'll toss them some frozen berries a little later.