How to help keep them cool

[Mamatomany123]

I'm not really sure where to post this. We lost an 11 week old pullet today. No injuries that I could see. She was laying in a hole in the dirt under the ramp that leads to the coop. We got to 120F yesterday and 120F today. I think that's what may have done it. They have deep shade, multiple waterers and I put out ice blocks for them throughout the day but I guess it wasn't enough. I feel so horrible. I've never lost one and this sucks. I've been thinking about putting a mister in the run. Would that help? I'm just super sad and don't don't to lose any more.

 

[black_cat]

Holy hecc, 120F is hot!!!!!!!! I was just about to suggest a mister, as well as a fan placed either in the run above their heads, or outside of the run blowing in. You can also put ice in their waterers to keep the water colder, as well as trying to place the water in the shade, as well as offering at least one waterer of 'chicken gatorade' (water with electrolytes).

 

[Mamatomany123]

Holy hecc, 120F is hot!!!!!!!! I was just about to suggest a mister, as well as a fan placed either in the run above their heads, or outside of the run blowing in. You can also put ice in their waterers to keep the water colder, as well as trying to place the water in the shade, as well as offering at least one waterer of 'chicken gatorade' (water with electrolytes).

Yeah,it was so sudden also. We were in the low 70s high 60s a week ago! I already ordered 2 fans for pickup and will place them in there. I'll add a mister to the order. I forgot about the electrolytes will grab some of that also.

 

[springvalley123]

So sorry about your loss, I know it's especially hard when you did all you knew to do.

Here are some pictures of some of what I do:
A mister in front of a fan, and a tray of water with clay bricks in it, so they stand on the dry tops of the bricks and cool off. Besides that, I drizzle a hose in a tree well in the shade of the house, in other words, find a spot that's naturally cool, or not so hot, and improve on that.
Note, the bucket top misting fan in the picture, is less than a year old but its mister no longer works, so I had to buy a mister to put in front of it. The fan portion still works. I didn't have any of this operating when I took the pictures just now.

A couple I met this morning, who live in texas, use trays of water and their birds stand in that. Others use ice. I also freeze half-filled 2-liter soda bottles (filled with water), and put those in the girls' dust bath. The barred rock sits next to it sometimes. Later in the day when the tree well is in the shade, I put a soda/ice bottle there also.

Hope this helps!

 

[aart]

I've been thinking about putting a mister in the run. Would that help?

If the ambient humidity is very low, yes it would help.
Weekly dose of electrolytes has been a hen saver here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[Mamatomany123]

If the ambient humidity is very low, yes it would help.
Weekly dose of electrolytes has been a hen saver here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

So I'm wondering if this may be the problem also. We usually have very low humidity but this past week it was pretty high. While my chickens were hot last summer, everything I did was enough and they survived and cooled down. This poor chick was just laying under the ramp. I think she was trying her best to dust bath and cool.down and just died.

 

[JCinNM]

@Mamatomany123
I am in Carlsbad. Ya it’s been HOT for the past several days. And for more days to come. I have A/C in the coop so that helps a little. I also use frozen jugs of water in their favorite shady places as well as frozen treat blocks. Those are mostly ice chunks with fruits and veggies suspended in the ice. And finally large pans of shallow water for them to stand and cool their feet. Some LOVE it and even put their bellies in the water.

It‘s possible that your pullet had underlying issues and the heat was not the total cause. So sorry for your loss!

 

[springvalley123]

So I'm wondering if this may be the problem also. We usually have very low humidity but this past week it was pretty high. While my chickens were hot last summer, everything I did was enough and they survived and cooled down. This poor chick was just laying under the ramp. I think she was trying her best to dust bath and cool.down and just died.

If the humidity is high I would not use the mister. I'd use all the other things, like ice blocks, ice jugs, tray of bricks. A puddle of water will still help them too.

 

[JCinNM]

Here is my reply in another post.

• A/C in coop to keep coop around 80F if possible.
• Large frozen ice blocks with fruit, veg, scratch, all flock pellets. The pellets seem to be the favorite.
• Foot bath pans made of XL pot saucers and food pans for dogs, goats, etc. They LOVE to stand in the water to cool off. Some even squat to put their belly in the water!
• Frozen jugs of water. Place under favorite bush, in foot bath pans, coop floor. Change twice a day.
• Frozen melon rinds in foot baths
• Spray and soak run to try to cool things down. But sometimes this will only make it muggy. And spraying water sometimes causes stress.
• Keep them calm and prevent stress and running.
• If someone seems overly stressed by the heat I have blankets and towels that I wet down before putting in the freezer. I take those to the coop and cover with a towel so they can lay on them. Or I make a lean-to for them to go inside/under for a bit.
• If all else fails they can come inside the house and watch a movie. They prefer Chicken Run, Chicken Little, and Barnyard.

 

[aart]

So I'm wondering if this may be the problem also. We usually have very low humidity but this past week it was pretty high.

Humidity makes the heat harder on the body, both mine and the chickens.