Sponsored Post It's HOT - Keep your birds feeling their best!

[ladyalia]

It's been in the 100's here...eep! I give them plenty of water with electrolytes added and I mist down their run several times a day. I also mist them down. A few of my girls have come to appreciate it, but most run lol. I tried to run a fan out there, but I have no way to plug it in in the house. Gotta figure out something though...I had a dream the other night that mom came in and told me my 3 white birds were dead...I woke up panicked!! I ran out there to make sure my babies were ok. Fortunately they were. I'm so worried about them though.

 

[Hooligans7]

ladyalia, what brand or type of electrolytes do you use and how do you give it to them?
To help my feathered friends stay cool on 100+ days, I refill a shallow dirt "pool" that they have dug out in their shady enclosure. It's their own swimmin' hole and they get all excited when I approach with the garden hose. Some enjoy getting splashed and others don't, but they all enjoy cooling their feet in the pool. Of course, I always run the hot water out of the hose first.

 

[Betsy57]

ladyalia, what brand or type of electrolytes do you use and how do you give it to them?
To help my feathered friends stay cool on 100+ days, I refill a shallow dirt "pool" that they have dug out in their shady enclosure. It's their own swimmin' hole and they get all excited when I approach with the garden hose. Some enjoy getting splashed and others don't, but they all enjoy cooling their feet in the pool. Of course, I always run the hot water out of the hose first.

I do that too! They love to wade in it and drink the cool water straight from the hose. It is only 99 today, the last several days it has been 100-108. Poor things. I wish I could bring them in the basement! I would but I have 50 chickens and not enough cages for them! Wish I had a cave or an underground shelter for them.

 

[ladyalia]

ladyalia, what brand or type of electrolytes do you use and how do you give it to them?
To help my feathered friends stay cool on 100+ days, I refill a shallow dirt "pool" that they have dug out in their shady enclosure. It's their own swimmin' hole and they get all excited when I approach with the garden hose. Some enjoy getting splashed and others don't, but they all enjoy cooling their feet in the pool. Of course, I always run the hot water out of the hose first.

It's called Vi-tal a water vitamin, electrolyte and mineral supplement. I got it at Big R, a farm supply type store. One packet of it cost less than $3 and it treats up too 384 gallons of water. I have 3 gallon waterers and I put 1/4 teaspoon per waterer. I add a tad more on the hotter days.

I don't use the pool method cuz I have a duck pond and have already found one of my little jersey giants floating in the pool. I scooped her up and brought her inside!! I dried her off and put the heat lamp on her. By constant prayer and lots of tlc she lived!!! Be careful if you have a duck pond...

 

[Fishbone]

So many "remedies"!

I don't claim to know it all, but lets look at some facts I do know.

First, chickens don't sweat...like dogs and other animals that don't sweat...they don't lose electrolytes through sweating!
Adding all these concoctions will also add a lot of salt and sugars!

Stick with supplements made for chickens!
Adding tasty frozen treats is a good way to get them to intake liquids and some nourishment.

When the temperature rise, animals slow down, and pant to pass air over their little ''radiator'' ...the tongue and mouth to cool them down!
This is similar to the basic principle of the "Swamp Cooler".

I have heard, if you (or someone) soak an overheated dog, they can go into shock!

Offer your chickens the opportunity to mist to cool down, don't force it on them.
Odds are they will Lay or stand in the mud!

In the past I have raised dogs, chickens, racing pigeons and various other animals.
Besides shading your coop and run, the Swamp Cooler is the THEE most effective way to help your animals survive inclement temps.

For pigeons, they're more hardier than chickens, I've hung wet burlap sacks and fans.
Works good.
Even just a box fan works..., they'll stand in front of it and open their wings to cool off.

When I used to raise as many as 200 chickens for food and profit, the best method is the Swamp Cooler, an old car or truck radiators, filled with water and put box fans behind them...the chickens would crowd around it!
Easy to make or they are offered commercially.
The birds don't get wet, neither does your coop!
.Another method I've used is a heavy old cotton towel, leave a few inches in a long pan of water, clip the other end over the top of the box fan...and let the towel act as a wick! Occasionally wet the whole towel, then let the fan blow on it. But you know how chickens are, soon they'll be jumping all over it, so you'll have to fence it off.

Do what works for your chickens, or go look at what works for large commercial chicken ranches.
Sure, they're not raising pets, but they do want to minimize their losses.

Nothing but fans! Some with Swamp Coolers...most just HUGE fans.

 

[Gypsi]

Having survived the 2nd hottest summer on record in Texas last year, in my experience, what a hen likes is cool feet. When it's going to 100 I pull the dogs in around 1 pm, throw a garden hose on a really slow drip under the tree, and turn the hens loose. (yes, weasel and all, he's not a noon critter).

If I cannot turn the hens loose, I have already put fresh clean sand in my run, and I put the garden hose on a slow drip near the shade but away from the chicken feed. They drink from the hose, and cool their "heels" quite happily. They hated the sprinkler, misters aren't popular either. But they like puddle stomping.

Gypsi

 

[Hooligans7]

The dripping-hose-and-wet-towel idea would work well in my situation. Thanks. They're enjoying the heck out of cold watermelon rinds (with enough red color left to entice 'em!)
Concerning electrolytes, I wouldn't imagine the kind sold in feed stores would be anything like Gatorade; just trace minerals that chickens can use. I found a scholarly article on it:
http://ps.fass.org/content/82/2/301.full.pdf

 

[Mskayladog]

Manny pro's life lyte work for heat stress???? I have a mix of about 3 months old an a year old hen.

 

[Dagirls]

EXcellent idea

 

[ladyalia]

Chickens don't sweat therefore they don't loose electrolytes...however...they don't eat as much in the heat of the day. I give them the vitamin supplements so their organs have the vitamins needed (since they aren't getting it from uneaten food) to function properly. And it IS a supplement for chickens.

That brings up another issue I've been wrestling with though. Since they don't sweat, do they feel the actual temp or the heat index? Since their bodies aren't dependent on water evaporation as a cooling mechanism then it makes sense that they wouldn't feel heat index. Hmmmm, any thoughts?