Last chicken standing

[Kclink]

Hey! First time posting here, I have had a rough start with keeping chickens but it’s been about a year and a half. I’ve lost a few, and just today I lost another.. I believe it was due to high temperatures (i live in AZ) anyways my question is.. can i wait until after summer to bring in another few hens? Or is my one remaining going to be too lonely?

 

[Valhalla Acres]

First off, welcome to BYC! Secondly, we have a lot of loney chickens on our farms, but only because they are sick and/or don't have a flock they can join. They seem to do just fine as long as they have something to do. We have placed chicken toys in their pens to entertain them.

 

[Kclink]

First off, welcome to BYC! Secondly, we have a lot of loney chickens on our farms, but only because they are sick and/or don't have a flock they can join. They seem to do just fine as long as they have something to do. We have placed chicken toys in their pens to entertain them.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Welcome to BYC.
She'll be pretty lonely, but I've seen hens alone, short-term. Can you set up a place for them to cool off so they won't be so hot? (A mister with cold water, a fan, a good, shady place with cool, dry dirt for them to dig in...)

What breeds did you have? What breeds did you plan on getting? It might factor in.

 

[Kclink]

Thank you! Okay good to know.. i have an enclosed coop/run area so i just worry she doesn’t have free range so she will struggle. But keeping them okay during the next few months is tough as it is.

 

[Kclink]

Welcome to BYC.
She'll be pretty lonely, but I've seen hens alone, short-term. Can you set up a place for them to cool off so they won't be so hot? (A mister with cold water, a fan, a good, shady place with cool, dry dirt for them to dig in...)

What breeds did you have? What breeds did you plan on getting? It might factor in.

So i have a walk-in cool/run combo. We can’t have them free range anymore, so i do my best by always giving them fresh cold water, frozen jugs, electrolytes and i blocked off the side where the sun beats down on them in the late afternoon. I’m trying to find a fan but it’s so far from an outlet that it’s hard to manage

 

[sylviethecochin]

So i have a walk-in cool/run combo. We can’t have them free range anymore, so i do my best by always giving them fresh cold water, frozen jugs, electrolytes and i blocked off the side where the sun beats down on them in the late afternoon. I’m trying to find a fan but it’s so far from an outlet that it’s hard to manage

Kudos on the cooling efforts! I'm much lazier than you are.

How much salt is in those electrolytes?

I just said this on another post, but electrolytes have a purpose—they rehydrate you. If you're already hydrated, then they just pass through your system, and have about the same effect as plain water. But chickens aren't really built to handle as much salt as humans are. It can quite literally poison them to have too much salt. Recommended levels are 0.2% in feed. I'd offer plain water.

 

[Kclink]

Oh interesting.. i need to check. They are specifically for chickens so hopefully not too bad! Yeah.. this chicken started to have a super pale droopy comb and more lethargic for a few weeks.. i tried to keep her hydrated, gave her lots of extra greens and made sure she was eating, but my efforts failed. I just don’t want to effect my last healthy hen negatively by her being completely alone.

Kudos on the cooling efforts! I'm much lazier than you are.

How much salt is in those electrolytes?

I just said this on another post, but electrolytes have a purpose—they rehydrate you. If you're already hydrated, then they just pass through your system, and have about the same effect as plain water. But chickens aren't really built to handle as much salt as humans are. It can quite literally poison them to have too much salt. Recommended levels are 0.2% in feed. I'd offer plain water.

 

[BlueBaby]

Thank you! Okay good to know.. i have an enclosed coop/run area so i just worry she doesn’t have free range so she will struggle. But keeping them okay during the next few months is tough as it is.

Hi, I'm in AZ. too! I know about our heat here. I don't free-range my flock neither. In this high heat make sure that they have plenty of water, and possibly at least hose down the dirt in your run. Chickens cool down through the feet, and that is why you will see them cooling their feet in the water pans or puddles. I put up a small misting system at the far end of my run away from the coop. Make sure that they have shade. You can join our AZ. states thread for more tips from us here in AZ.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/arizona-chickens.31227/page-6472

 

[aart]

I just said this on another post, but electrolytes have a purpose—they rehydrate you. If you're already hydrated, then they just pass through your system, and have about the same effect as plain water. But chickens aren't really built to handle as much salt as humans are. It can quite literally poison them to have too much salt. Recommended levels are 0.2% in feed. I'd offer plain water.

Excellent post.
I've read that plain water should always be available separately from the EL.
Only give one dose of EL a week or so.