Important for anyone who loves their chooks

[chickencoop57]

Correction, I HAVENT lost any to the heat, thus far.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Hello Everyone,
Im posting this today because i had a pretty difficult day, but i learned alot from this difficult lesson
Knowing that the weather here has been in the 110-115 degree temps i went to check on my girls. And found my favourite hen of all Houston (my only speckled sussex) was flat on her stomach her head was over her back and her wings straight out she looked dead, she was definitley a shade of blue. I immediatley picked her up and set her in their little pool i have for them and splashed water up on her all the while hysterical and praying for her to come back to me. i then tried to breathe into her beak as she wasn't breathing and just when i was about to quit she moved very slightly. That gave me hope so i rushed her inside, in the a/c tried to give her water very very slowly. she coughed up some weird slime and drank very little. i then gave her a drop of poultry cell and she drank it but kept passing out in my arms. Every now and then she would wake up but her head would twist up over her back like she was about to die which scared me. I would just lightly push her head back into a normal position. She was unable to move her feet at all or really any part of her body. it went on like this for hours and hours. i just held her, swaddled her up in my fluffy jacket and cried and kissed her little head and told her its okay mommys here and i wasnt letting her go anywhere certainly not to the afterlife, oh no i was intent on making sure my baby will go on to live a long long happy life.
She finally woke up on her own and started to move her feet. i brought her outside to check again on the rest of the girls and feed them and theyre all doing good. she didnt move at all but i did get her to eat food on her own, alot of it too. she finally got her bowel functions back but...unfortunatley i dont think that shes all there in her head...she looks extremley confused at everything even me but im not going to let this stop me from helping my baby.

Im proud to let you all know that she is now up and walking around (very confused and slowly) but still she even jumped up and flapped her wings to get up on my lap. I think she suffered a horrible heat stroke and i do think she is brain damaged but, she is alive and doing a lot lot better. Right now shes slowly walking around just staring at everything like its the first time shes ever seen it. If your chickens get heat stroke just make sure to get them hydrated and cooled off but not so much they go into shock. just very slowly and then wait. they will come to on their own you just got to give them time. As im sure you can get from my post i LOVE my girls. they mean so much to me and have comforted and been there for me when no one else was. i used to fall asleep in their coop with them in my lap or right by my side on nights when they were frightened of the thunder or fireworks. i share a close bond with my chickens and im sure you all do to. Stay hydrated and safe out there, I love you all

I have lost hens to heat. It always seems like it goes for a favorite.

I decided that I will not lose any more to heat this year.

I I stalled a cattle panel hoop garden. Planted lots of Vining plants for shade, installed misters and gave it a stone floor made from bullrock and packed sand.

It's 110° outside and my chooks are living their best lives. I put up Avian netting to protect the plants, but planted greens that they can peck at on the bottom. Misters on both sides of the coop and dueling fans inside create an area where the temp stays around 80°.

It is definitely working.

 

[McChooky]

My sapphire gem is a big girl with lots of feathers .She's roosted in the run where its cooler for a couple days.

 

[Ritakprkns]

Hello Everyone,
Im posting this today because i had a pretty difficult day, but i learned alot from this difficult lesson
Knowing that the weather here has been in the 110-115 degree temps i went to check on my girls. And found my favourite hen of all Houston (my only speckled sussex) was flat on her stomach her head was over her back and her wings straight out she looked dead, she was definitley a shade of blue. I immediatley picked her up and set her in their little pool i have for them and splashed water up on her all the while hysterical and praying for her to come back to me. i then tried to breathe into her beak as she wasn't breathing and just when i was about to quit she moved very slightly. That gave me hope so i rushed her inside, in the a/c tried to give her water very very slowly. she coughed up some weird slime and drank very little. i then gave her a drop of poultry cell and she drank it but kept passing out in my arms. Every now and then she would wake up but her head would twist up over her back like she was about to die which scared me. I would just lightly push her head back into a normal position. She was unable to move her feet at all or really any part of her body. it went on like this for hours and hours. i just held her, swaddled her up in my fluffy jacket and cried and kissed her little head and told her its okay mommys here and i wasnt letting her go anywhere certainly not to the afterlife, oh no i was intent on making sure my baby will go on to live a long long happy life.
She finally woke up on her own and started to move her feet. i brought her outside to check again on the rest of the girls and feed them and theyre all doing good. she didnt move at all but i did get her to eat food on her own, alot of it too. she finally got her bowel functions back but...unfortunatley i dont think that shes all there in her head...she looks extremley confused at everything even me but im not going to let this stop me from helping my baby.

Im proud to let you all know that she is now up and walking around (very confused and slowly) but still she even jumped up and flapped her wings to get up on my lap. I think she suffered a horrible heat stroke and i do think she is brain damaged but, she is alive and doing a lot lot better. Right now shes slowly walking around just staring at everything like its the first time shes ever seen it. If your chickens get heat stroke just make sure to get them hydrated and cooled off but not so much they go into shock. just very slowly and then wait. they will come to on their own you just got to give them time. As im sure you can get from my post i LOVE my girls. they mean so much to me and have comforted and been there for me when no one else was. i used to fall asleep in their coop with them in my lap or right by my side on nights when they were frightened of the thunder or fireworks. i share a close bond with my chickens and im sure you all do to. Stay hydrated and safe out there, I love you all

 

[DLA]

I am so happy your hen made it through. I was really dehydrated once and thought I was going through early dementia. The heat and lack of hydration definitely make us act differently.

I have four hens and it's been up to 116 yesterday here in the high desert, we've had temps in the 100's for quite a while now. I purchased a rolling swamp cooler for my hens. Once the temps are in the high 90's I turn it on. I have to fill it with water twice a day, but if it's in the shade near an electrical outlet, your hens can lie in the cool breeze coming out onto their little bodies, and it's been wonderful. I have mine in the house pointing out a screen door with a little 9-paver patio right outside. In the afternoon, it's shady there, and the hens just lay there, preen, and talk to each other quietly and they do just fine.

I also have Hydro-Hen Probiotics that I put into one of their water bowls outside, and they really drink it up during the hot days. That is in addition to their regular plain water bowls. So many things you can do to try to keep them cool, but that rolling swamp cooler is the best thing I've gotten for them.

I had a swamp cooler in my house when I lived in NM. Those things are awesome, easy to fix and cheap to run. Sadly they don't work if there's any humidity so useless here in PA. Your chickens sure must be happy with their cooler. Really great of you to take such good care of them!

 

[Rufus1945]

It was 118 degrees on my patio, under a ceiling fan, yesterday.
I have installed a cheap misting system, bought from amazon. Added a 20 inch box fan to blow the moisture around. I covered the sunny side of the pen with solar shade which I water down often. My girls are doing fine with no panting.

 

[dusta]

One these hot 108 + days my naked necks huddle around the duck pool. The ducks are in the pool or near it.
I have juniper trees but they prefer the shade of the garage. Haven't lost any but have my doubts about the desert being a good place for chicken.

 

[one chick]

Hello Everyone,
Im posting this today because i had a pretty difficult day, but i learned alot from this difficult lesson
Knowing that the weather here has been in the 110-115 degree temps i went to check on my girls. And found my favourite hen of all Houston (my only speckled sussex) was flat on her stomach her head was over her back and her wings straight out she looked dead, she was definitley a shade of blue. I immediatley picked her up and set her in their little pool i have for them and splashed water up on her all the while hysterical and praying for her to come back to me. i then tried to breathe into her beak as she wasn't breathing and just when i was about to quit she moved very slightly. That gave me hope so i rushed her inside, in the a/c tried to give her water very very slowly. she coughed up some weird slime and drank very little. i then gave her a drop of poultry cell and she drank it but kept passing out in my arms. Every now and then she would wake up but her head would twist up over her back like she was about to die which scared me. I would just lightly push her head back into a normal position. She was unable to move her feet at all or really any part of her body. it went on like this for hours and hours. i just held her, swaddled her up in my fluffy jacket and cried and kissed her little head and told her its okay mommys here and i wasnt letting her go anywhere certainly not to the afterlife, oh no i was intent on making sure my baby will go on to live a long long happy life.
She finally woke up on her own and started to move her feet. i brought her outside to check again on the rest of the girls and feed them and theyre all doing good. she didnt move at all but i did get her to eat food on her own, alot of it too. she finally got her bowel functions back but...unfortunatley i dont think that shes all there in her head...she looks extremley confused at everything even me but im not going to let this stop me from helping my baby.

Im proud to let you all know that she is now up and walking around (very confused and slowly) but still she even jumped up and flapped her wings to get up on my lap. I think she suffered a horrible heat stroke and i do think she is brain damaged but, she is alive and doing a lot lot better. Right now shes slowly walking around just staring at everything like its the first time shes ever seen it. If your chickens get heat stroke just make sure to get them hydrated and cooled off but not so much they go into shock. just very slowly and then wait. they will come to on their own you just got to give them time. As im sure you can get from my post i LOVE my girls. they mean so much to me and have comforted and been there for me when no one else was. i used to fall asleep in their coop with them in my lap or right by my side on nights when they were frightened of the thunder or fireworks. i share a close bond with my chickens and im sure you all do to. Stay hydrated and safe out there, I love you all

 

[one chick]

It was 118 degrees on my patio, under a ceiling fan, yesterday.
I have installed a cheap misting system, bought from amazon. Added a 20 inch box fan to blow the moisture around. I covered the sunny side of the pen with solar shade which I water down often. My girls are doing fine with no panting.

What a beautiful heartwarming story! I'm so glad it worked out for your chicken. I was thinking of spraying water on mine but when this weather is this hot they go under my deck and they burrow in the cool sand so I think there are okay. I'm in Tennessee and today is supposed to be 99°..yuck!

 

[McChooky]

We had a thunderstorm earlier and still getting a little rain .It feels good to get a little rain on a hot day!