I lost two chickens today :*(

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

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We had record breaking cold temps and snow falls this past winter so I felt we would have a horrible summer, I just didnt know it would kill our birds!

 

[Reinbeau]

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It is marginally better today, it's 94° as compared to 102°, and the heat index is down to 109° instead of 121°. It's still miserable out! My birds are panting, but I don't get the overall sense of doom today, I'm hoping they'll be ok. A few are on the nest, which amazes me in this heat, I can't believe they're still laying eggs. Five yesterday, we'll see about today, I just brought in two.

I wanted to ask you, easttxchick, did the cold kill the birds, or just damage their combs? I've found they can adapt to cold, it's the heat that's going to kill them. Thankfully we haven't gone that far yet

 

[Beth G.]

Sorry to hear about your loss! I live in New Haven County, CT and my Temp outside said 105 yesterday!!! I put two fans on and replaced all water dishes early morning, Mid afternoon, and Evening. This way they had fresh water. I also put a white Tarp ontop of my coop/pen. My Chickens free range but, I figured it can't hurt to do that and at least shade the coop for when they go in at night. Most of them dug in the dirt under a big Maple Tree and laid there still in the shade. At one point I thought I lost a few but, knock on wood they all came in last night. Today is a different story. I hope that it doesn't do any of them in today!

 

[Jenski]

So sorry to hear of all these chicken losses to the dratted heat. Down in TN we have only had 3 days under 90 since the beginning of June, so we have things down to a science in keeping our hens cool.

* ICE WATER - - we use Pyrex baking pans and refill 2-3 times a day when it gets over 90. The hens drink it to cool off, and some will even stand in the pans. This one thing has probably helped more than all others.
* SHADE - - for pens not already under shade trees, we used plastic zip-ties to anchor tarps over the pens to give the girls some relief from our hot sun.
* AIR CIRCULATION - - most days we have wind, but when it's not we have a fan for each pen. They are stationed right outside, and we have electric running out there. Only works if you know you won't have rain, which does not seem to be an issue here in TN this summer.
- - we are also leaving coop doors open and vents open at night, but we made secured screen doors for coops that do not have built-in secure porches.
* HOSING PENS - - with no rain around here, I hose down the dust bathing holes in the morning so the girls can dig into the cool dirt.

If I notice a gal who seems too hot, I will wipe her face, comb, and bottoms of feet with a cool, wet cloth to help her temp go back down.

Hope that helps. I'll be praying for those in the northeast this week! Hang in there.

 

[easttxchick]

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It is marginally better today, it's 94° as compared to 102°, and the heat index is down to 109° instead of 121°. It's still miserable out! My birds are panting, but I don't get the overall sense of doom today, I'm hoping they'll be ok. A few are on the nest, which amazes me in this heat, I can't believe they're still laying eggs. Five yesterday, we'll see about today, I just brought in two.

I wanted to ask you, easttxchick, did the cold kill the birds, or just damage their combs? I've found they can adapt to cold, it's the heat that's going to kill them. Thankfully we haven't gone that far yet

Reinbeau-I myself didn't lose any birds to the cold because I was the fool that was out in the cold putting up plastic on the walls and stacking the north wall of my coop with hay bales to keep my babies warm. I also didn't have a single case of frostbitten comb. Had I known how to knit, my poor birds would probably have been trying to walk around with little knitted "mittens" on their feet and my roosters would have had knitted comb protectors(Gee-that sounds sad even to me).
I did have a friend that had some guineas freeze to death in the trees after we had one of those incredibley cold(to us) days with rain right around New Years. I think our problem was it wasn't just cold-it was cold and wet so people had birds that they failed to get in at night that froze in the trees(like my neighbors guineas) after getting wet.
The irony of all of this is that it has been hot(even by our standards) down here so far this year, but we had about a week of cloudy weather from the hurricane and the first day the sun came out(and it was HOT)-I walked out in my pasture and saw birds laying on their sides everywhere! I ran out there expecting they had been attacked by a hawk or something and they were all sunning themselves. Go figure.

I'm glad you are getting even a small break in your temperatures-every degree helps.

 

[DTRM30]

I keep a heat lamp in my coop during the winter - just in case any of my gals feel the need to warm up a bit - it doesn't heat the coop but offers some relief if they need it. It also serves the dual purpose of keeping the water from freezing.
Glad you didn't lose any !
Today does seem better - my son has checked on my girls a few times today (with my prodding by calling every couple of hours !) and they are panting and hot, but seem to be doing better so far - at least that's the news I get. I'll find out when I get home. I just need to deal with a suspected case of bumblefoot now. Never ends, eh?

 

[easttxchick]

This may have already been suggested to ya'll(and I'm sorry-I did read the posts, just don't remember)-go out and spray a shaded area of ground with the water hose to help them keep cool-keep the area damp so they can lay in it and cool their little bodies off-I do that when the heat index gets over about 110 down here.

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

I just checked our thermometer and its on 108 again today!! I am so thankful we brought our girls inside!
Its funny to go downstairs and get eggs instead of going out the coops! lol

 

[Vermontmaple]

So sorry for your loss. I would be devastated also. I'm in Vermont so am going through the same thing! It's been scorching hot here. 105 on the bank thermometer yesterday. I'm dealing with bumblefoot now........urg!