Keeping them cool?

[ChickenPox]

I had a rough day! Ugh!

We live in the south and we had a HOT day today. It made it up to 91 and considering we had 37 degrees just a couple nights ago, all my animals had issues with the heat. Most of my time was spent on a colicking horse, but I noticed that my Cochins and Silkies were panting and holding their wings away from their bodies.

Aside from the obvious providing shade and clean water at all times, how can I keep my babies cool? What are the signs of heat exhaustion in a chicken? Here in the deep south, we will get some days that are WELL over 100 with the humidity. I've never had the full feathered breeds during the summer here and I'm worried.

 

[LarryPQ]

From someone who battles the heat most of the year---shade and water are your biggest saviors.

You can also freeze treats into ice blocks, freeze watermelons, or put water into milk jugs and set them out to keep them cool. They'll sit on the jugs--or you can put them in a rubbermaid container for a little air-conditioned room.

I get an old fan from a garage sale every year, and set it up to run during the day. I have it hanging low enough they can sit under it, but under the ladder so poop and dust can't get it. I also have a water trough with a $25 re-circulating fountain pump, which lowers the water temp for chicken/turkey wading.

FINALLY, I put in misters this year, $12 at Home Depot.

This all sounds like a lot--but we are talking $75 total investment. Since most of my hens that croak from heat stroke do it in the first 3 days it is 100 degrees, I have to prep early. If I lose 4 hens from heat stroke, I have already lost $80 of chicken time/$. So it is worth it to me to do the extra prep.

 

[bgelber]

Last year I used fans. This year I'm looking a barrel fan with a mister.

 

[LarryPQ]

I really want a solar-powered fan. Not a wimpy one, but one of the heavy duty ones. They are still $500, so it will have to wait until I am rich.

 

[bigzio]

While I can't help you out with the cooling of the flock today...my flock is still eating snow while out and about! Anyone need some snow?

~ bigzio

 

[ChickenPox]

Laree, those are great ideas! I don't want to lose ANY of my birds, and have no problems running an extension cord to make a fan run if need be. I think I will make a "cool room" with the gallon jug and crate. That's a GREAT idea. I do want misters too......my biggest problem with those is that my dogs love to chew up hoses.

Bigzio - You can keep your snow! I would rather be a tad bit chilly than a tad bit warm, but wet cold is the pits! No thanks! Haha!

 

[centrarchid]

Three tricks I employ. First, make certain direct sun blocked. Second, airflow preferably not from sun heated area. Third, evaporative cooling where water is applied to ground birds standing on. Latter cools ground and air like with swamp cooler. Birds can then dump heat through feet as well. These rapid temperature changes are harder on birds than slow and steady rise.

 

[azygous]

Don't overlook the value of adding electrolytes to their drinking water. They can be found at the feed store in packets labeled as vitamins and electrolytes for live stock. It comes in powdered form.

 

[ralleia]

We live near Omaha, Nebraska, where the summers get hot and humid.

When the temperatures peak and humans and livestock get stressed, we rig up temporary shade on the south and west sides of the coop with either tarps or reflective shade netting.

We also park a monster fan in the chicken coop to move more air through.

"Evaporative cooling" is a nice idea, but keep in mind that it's really only effective in areas of low humidity. Unless you live in the desert southwest, your air will already be nearly saturated with water (100% humidity anyone???) and "evaporative cooling" won't work as intended.

Heat-stressed birds pant, spread their wings, and in the final stages lay down with wings out. I've been able to save heat-stressed chicks by bringing them inside, washing them in tepid-water, and sitting with them in the house in a towel until they perked up, but I've never attempted it with a full-grown bird.

Plan for your shade apparatus now.

 

[centrarchid]

Evaporative cooling works in central Missouri. More effective with lower humidity for sure but seldom is 100% humidity realized unless rain is falling. Free range birds use it when standing on moist ground in shade, even when humidity very high. All methods prescribed are only partial compensation as temperature becomes more extreme so complete control of heat stress will be difficult.