Is heat exhaustion a real thing for chickens?

[ChickenCanoe]

what would you feed a male as ive heard different answers

Ideally, something with 13-15% protein and .08-2% calcium.
Since the only feeds commercially available in that range are chicken finisher feed(15%) and gamebird maintenance feed (12.5%), you don't want to buy a 50# bag of feed for a single rooster, so a better option is a grower or all flock feed between 16-18% protein that all your birds can eat.
Feeding males more appropriate feed is accomplished either by separating them for most of the time or elevate hanging feeders for roosters so hens and younger birds don't have access. Then put hens' feed in containers roosters can't get their heads into.

I'm sorry I didn't see your post sooner or maybe you could have saved more birds.
About 3 years ago we had weeks over 100F. When I opened a building one morning, one of the hens didn't come out. I found her laying on the floor of the coop near death. I gave her a cool bath and moved her into a wire cage in the basement where it is about 60F. After about 6 hours she was up and looked fully recovered in about 10 hours. Then, like a big dummy, I put her back in the coop the next day (back into the 100+ heat). Another day and she was dead. I firmly believe if I left her in the basement for 2 or 3 more days, I'd still have that nice Welsummer.
I lost a hen a couple weeks ago. One of the coops has a hanging homemade PVC bulk feeder which lasts a week. It has a small bin under it to catch billed out feed. Somehow, the bin got moved away and it flipped upside down, trapping the hen. When I let the chickens out in the morning one was missing but I assumed she was in a nest box. The next morning one was still missing. When I went in the coop, I found the bin upside down with the dead hen underneath. Dehydration and heat killed her.

 

[jllracer55]

Man, one off like that would be easier to handle than now 6. I dont know what else to try besides what ive been doing which is assist/ force them up and awake to eat food. My wife dont want birds in the house in case they have something else besides dehydration problems aince she took on a new puppy.. Ill see how they are around lunch time I hope ok.

 

[perchie.girl]

It is too bad you didn't know that chickens were intolerant of high heat. They can take very cold conditions but heat will kill them.
Even heat tolerant breeds like Mediterranean, Cubalayas and Fayoumis still like 60-70F better than temps around 100.
It ranges from -20F here to 110F - I've lost birds to heat but never to cold.
It is too bad you didn't know chickens need fresh water every day. I read in one of your posts that your birds had gone over a day without water in the past and they were OK. They weren't OK, they lived.
When poultry are overcome by heat, especially when dehydrated, they need to be taken somewhere cool.
They need to be taken into a basement or air conditioned space. And not just till they look better, they need to be in that space at least 3 days. Heat effect is cumulative. If you take a bird that has recovered back into 100F, it could still die.


That tells me you didn't even check on the birds all weekend.

A combination of the two, heat and dehydration.
While chickens should have food available all day, they can survive a day or even two without food.
However, under no circumstances can they go 24 hours without water. Even in winter they need to be able to drink more than once a day but in summer, it is critical.



I'm going to diverge from the advice of others. I would not dose with Corid. A 20 week old flock of chickens that have been out foraging will not all die over the course of a couple days from coccidiosis.
In fact, I would be surprised if one bird could die from coccidiosis given that situation.
Your birds don't have any disease so you can quit worrying about that.
Your birds died from being without water in hundred degree heat. It is as simple as that.

Edited to correct age of flock.

one of the big time educaters here....

 

[jllracer55]

here is some images of their poop.

 

[Kiki]

I have to respectfully disagree with the comment about them being resistant to coccidia at this age.
They are numerous cases here on BYC where coccidiosis has been diagnosed by a vet in birds of this age and older.

I would continue the Corid and see about direct dosing them all straight to the beak this evening with 3 drops of the liquid Corid.

Are you able to collect some of that foamy poop and have a vet test it?


Although I still believe being with out water was the problem.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The Corid likely won't hurt but when they are on the verge of death from dehydration and heat, I'd focus on the cause of death by hydrating and getting them cool.

Vets will always find coccidia and oocysts in feces, because it is there in all birds exposed to soil. It doesn't mean they will succumb.

A friend was a vet tech for 20 years at an avian vet that treated poultry and she could find coccidia in every fecal sample she read. That wasn't why the birds were at the vet though.

 

[jllracer55]

I put Ice packs in the coop added a second fan and threw frozen blueberries in. am trying to give them foods with moisture not dry chicken feed

 

[Kylo_Hen!]

try putting some ice cubes in their water if a chicken is not doing to well BRING HER INSIDE!!!!!!!!!! and you need to make sure that when you get chickens that they are heat hardy

 

[Kiki]

I put Ice packs in the coop added a second fan and threw frozen blueberries in. am trying to give them foods with moisture not dry chicken feed

Measure out a little less than a days worth of feed and wet it.
Make it an oatmeal consistency or slightly wetter.
That will help them to intake water while they eat.

 

[Kylo_Hen!]

sorry about your birds