perchie.girl
RIP 1953-2021
I live in the desert where temps are high during the summer... My chickens were acclimatized to the heat... That being said....
WATER
They NEVER went with out water.... ever. All my animals are on automatic waterers.... I use the black tubs that hold about two gallons at all times... Yep they walk in it and toss things in it and poo in it. The water gets dumped every day and tub scrubbed with a brush.... and allowed to fill.
The water is kept in the shade all hours of the day.
FEED
For fifteen birds I had a feeder that held twenty five pounds of feed. So they could eat at will. All my animals were free fed. Even the dogs and cats were set up that way.
BEDDING
Sand or shavings for the bedding keeps the poo dehydrated and up off the floor so it can be removed either daily or on a schedual.... it also protects their feet from injury.
AIR
Air flow Fresh air through the coop and all their confined spaces... Even if its hot air.
SHADE
Shade cloth up to provide more shade.... If you have a small coop Even stretching a shade cloth over the whole thing.... Double layer of heat deflection. Here in the desert youwill see people that have vans... with a rack on top the rack will have a sheet of plywood painted white.... there will be space between the Van roof and the plywood. HEAT deflection can be done many ways.
Heat exaustion can cause diarreaah... I have had it my self... left in the car when we lived in Las Vegas as a child.... 115 degrees They went into the drugstore for a MINUTE... And I was told dont get out. Thankfully I opened the door.
""Heat exhaustion is a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. It's one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe.""
This condition is caused because your core temperature is raised above x amount
""High environmental temperatures can be dangerous to your body. In the range of 90˚ and 105˚F (32˚ and 40˚C), you can experience heat cramps and exhaustion. Between 105˚ and 130˚F (40˚ and 54˚C), heat exhaustion is more likely. You should limit your activities at this range. "" this is for humans
for chickens the normal temps are
""In the adult chicken the variability is between 105°F and 107°F (40.6° and 41.7°C). The body temperature of a newly hatched chick is about 103.5°F (39.7°C), and increases daily until it reaches a stable level at about three weeks of age.""
They regulate their temperature by raising and lowering their feathers allowing convection to release the heat... Places that show skin are the only places they can really actively exchange heat... Feet Wattles comb....
Providing a muddy place to stand is very helpful. IF they are showing heat stress you can cool them down with plain unchilled water.... same goes for dogs... The Evaporation cools them further.... When water evaporates the chemical process chills it.
I am writing all this because others are reading and learning... Hopefully the OP will as well.
deb
WATER
They NEVER went with out water.... ever. All my animals are on automatic waterers.... I use the black tubs that hold about two gallons at all times... Yep they walk in it and toss things in it and poo in it. The water gets dumped every day and tub scrubbed with a brush.... and allowed to fill.
The water is kept in the shade all hours of the day.
FEED
For fifteen birds I had a feeder that held twenty five pounds of feed. So they could eat at will. All my animals were free fed. Even the dogs and cats were set up that way.
BEDDING
Sand or shavings for the bedding keeps the poo dehydrated and up off the floor so it can be removed either daily or on a schedual.... it also protects their feet from injury.
AIR
Air flow Fresh air through the coop and all their confined spaces... Even if its hot air.
SHADE
Shade cloth up to provide more shade.... If you have a small coop Even stretching a shade cloth over the whole thing.... Double layer of heat deflection. Here in the desert youwill see people that have vans... with a rack on top the rack will have a sheet of plywood painted white.... there will be space between the Van roof and the plywood. HEAT deflection can be done many ways.
Heat exaustion can cause diarreaah... I have had it my self... left in the car when we lived in Las Vegas as a child.... 115 degrees They went into the drugstore for a MINUTE... And I was told dont get out. Thankfully I opened the door.
""Heat exhaustion is a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. It's one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe.""
This condition is caused because your core temperature is raised above x amount
""High environmental temperatures can be dangerous to your body. In the range of 90˚ and 105˚F (32˚ and 40˚C), you can experience heat cramps and exhaustion. Between 105˚ and 130˚F (40˚ and 54˚C), heat exhaustion is more likely. You should limit your activities at this range. "" this is for humans
for chickens the normal temps are
""In the adult chicken the variability is between 105°F and 107°F (40.6° and 41.7°C). The body temperature of a newly hatched chick is about 103.5°F (39.7°C), and increases daily until it reaches a stable level at about three weeks of age.""
They regulate their temperature by raising and lowering their feathers allowing convection to release the heat... Places that show skin are the only places they can really actively exchange heat... Feet Wattles comb....
Providing a muddy place to stand is very helpful. IF they are showing heat stress you can cool them down with plain unchilled water.... same goes for dogs... The Evaporation cools them further.... When water evaporates the chemical process chills it.
I am writing all this because others are reading and learning... Hopefully the OP will as well.
deb
