Keeping my chicks cool!! Help...

[DnDChickens]

I lost my buff orp today, I assume to the heat. It was 96 today, she was in the shade, had plenty of water, and panting no more than normal. She was a year and a few months. Anyone else lost a chicken to the heat? She was just hunkered down next to the waterer in her favorite dust bowl in the shade under the hen house and didn't come running for a hand full of scratch this evening before dark. She was fine 3 hours prior. Anyone have any ideas other than heat. Loosing one is a big deal when you have a flock of 4 tended very attentively by your 6 year old daughter.

 

[Godiva]

I am so sorry to hear about your Buff Orpington dying! That is really sad and I am sure especially so for your daughter! For what it is worth my Buff Orpington hen is the one that struggles the most with the heat out of all my birds. Even when the temp is really not that high she needs the fan going and extra attention. She is much better down in the workshop. The buff Orpington roos seem to be more prone to feel the heat than my sussex or the others but they are nowhere near as sensitive as Queenie. Hopefully you can figure out what more you could do so you avoid a repeat. Queenie starts panting a LONG time before the other chicks and I know that the panting is not a good sign and can affect all kinds of stuff. SO sorry!

 

[nuchickmama]

We lost one of our 11 week old buff orpingtons on Tues. morning. Out of our 35, 9-11 week old chicks, not all have started to roost at night. We think the ones that are still huddling in a corner of the coop may have piled on top of her and it was warm that night. I have tried to individually put them up on the roost, but they only stay for a short time and fly back and huddle in the corner. It was hard to lose one we raised from a 3 day old. By the way, we are in middle TN.

 

[dlhunicorn]

This is stickied at the Ezboard BYC location:
http://p072.ezboard.com/fbackyardchickensfrm1.showMessage?topicID=22798.topic

 

[Southern28Chick]

I'm from the south and 100 degrees doesn't bother me much but you'd think my chickens were broiling. I have a small fan in their house, a shady chicken yard, cool water and a pan of water about 2" deep that they stand in to cool off their hot feet.

 

[cookinmom]

My chickens have lots of shade; their coop is under a humongous pecan tree. We tried the wading pool, but the big bobo's were scared of it and wouldn't get in. I even tried throwing sunflower seeds in it (empty); they would perch on the edge and eat the seeds but not jump in. I tried placing a few of them in the water (like an inch deep) but they didn't like that either. So I donated the pool to the dog, since he chewed a hole in the bottom of his and put a fan in the coop today. Crazy chickens don't seem to like it either! But it was 96 out there a while ago so they'll just need to get used to it!