How much panting is too much??

[hayley3]

In my opinion, panting is an emergency. Do whatever you can to stop the panting . I dip my chickens in a kiddie pool making sure water gets up under their wings, I let the water sit for a little bit maybe 30 mins before putting them in it. I left mine inside last year due to the heat

 

[ValerieLovesChickens]

In my opinion, panting is an emergency. Do whatever you can to stop the panting . I dip my chickens in a kiddie pool making sure water gets up under their wings, I let the water sit for a little bit maybe 30 mins before putting them in it. I left mine inside last year due to the heat

Thanks hayley3 !! I didn't know to get cool water under their wings, I just knew to dip their feet. Out of 7 chicks, only 1 was cooperative over the past 3 days, and now she goes and stands in it to cool herself down off & on all day. LOL I don't know if it's her breed or personality. Hahaha bless my sturdy little Rhode Island Brown, Waddles - chubby girl as a baby, strong and healthy now.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

It is about 100 degrees where I live during the day. When I go outside at 8 am it is about 85-90. My chickens essentially pant all day.

 

[lizo97]

In my opinion, panting is an emergency. Do whatever you can to stop the panting . I dip my chickens in a kiddie pool making sure water gets up under their wings, I let the water sit for a little bit maybe 30 mins before putting them in it. I left mine inside last year due to the heat

Panting is unavoidable! We dunk them, they stop panting and then start panting after 30 minutes! The only thing we haven't done is take them inside the house. I really want to install AC in their coop, but it is an open coop.

 

[ValerieLovesChickens]

It is about 100 degrees where I live during the day. When I go outside at 8 am it is about 85-90. My chickens essentially pant all day.

From what I learned in the past 18 hours, is to keep the ground cool that they walk on, they cool themselves through panting and their feet, under their wings. We are getting a misting system, programmable timer to have it come on at the hottest part of the day, and shut off when its 6pm. To cool the ground in their run, that they walk in. Also getting a mortar/paint/any type we can find of tray (lowes or home depot). You put water in it, and then several bricks. The bricks wick the water, the chickens stand on them and cool down. Also we are mounting a small fan over a window on the outside of the coop, to pull the hot air out up by the ceiling. Hope this might help you too.

 

[lizo97]

They drink if I throw pieces of lettuce in their water (they love lettuce). They just want to lay down, attempt to sleep, only to wake right back up and resume panting. I didnt want to risk their lives, so we brought them back inside for the night. Hubby is going to add more security to their run tonight and thru tomorrow, so they can come and go from coop to run, as they choose. We are also talking about adding a mister to the run on one side, as it's only going to get hotter here in Texas.

How do you bring them inside to sleep? Dog crate with pine shavings?

 

[ValerieLovesChickens]

How do you bring them inside to sleep? Dog crate with pine shavings?

Hubby built a BIG brooder type of box, we painted the bottom to protect the wood (going to look for laminate flooring remnants today), pine flake shavings, mounted some old plastic lunch meat containers for food and water to the sides with screws. Put it in our mud room, theres an air vent in their from our a/c.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

From what I learned in the past 18 hours, is to keep the ground cool that they walk on, they cool themselves through panting and their feet, under their wings. We are getting a misting system, programmable timer to have it come on at the hottest part of the day, and shut off when its 6pm. To cool the ground in their run, that they walk in. Also getting a mortar/paint/any type we can find of tray (lowes or home depot). You put water in it, and then several bricks. The bricks wick the water, the chickens stand on them and cool down. Also we are mounting a small fan over a window on the outside of the coop, to pull the hot air out up by the ceiling. Hope this might help you too.

Thank you so much! My baby chicks love marigold in their water, and I can put them in with my rabbits, but I don't have enough space to put the big chickens in the rabbit cages. The big chickens are basically just doing whatever they can to cool off. I have sprayed water in the run, added ice to their water, frozen their food, etc.

 

[ValerieLovesChickens]

Thank you so much! My baby chicks love marigold in their water, and I can put them in with my rabbits, but I don't have enough space to put the big chickens in the rabbit cages. The big chickens are basically just doing whatever they can to cool off. I have sprayed water in the run, added ice to their water, frozen their food, etc.

You're welcome! Happy to be of help.

 

[hayley3]

Thanks hayley3 !! I didn't know to get cool water under their wings, I just knew to dip their feet. Out of 7 chicks, only 1 was cooperative over the past 3 days, and now she goes and stands in it to cool herself down off & on all day. LOL I don't know if it's her breed or personality. Hahaha bless my sturdy little Rhode Island Brown, Waddles - chubby girl as a baby, strong and healthy now.

None of mine like the water. It's torture to them but then they stop panting and resume being a normal chicken which makes me happy. I wish mine would stand in the water but they won't.
Sometimes I will just put their feet in it too. But yesterday was awful so everyone got their pool time. I have to push them down to get it to go almost over their back. I have used a Walmart tote before too which works well when you don't have a pool.
And I'm glad yours are doing better.