Lost another chicken to heat stroke/stress

[rgspine]

This is the second summer I've lost a chicken to what I believe is heat stroke. I have a 30 foot fenced in area and thought I have provided enough areas that have shade. This summer I have put a huge tarp with poles to widen an area for shade. There is constant water supplied in a tube feeder and monitored 2x/day. I also have other areas that provide cover for shade. I live in PA and it has been hot the last two weeks. Is loosing chickens in the summer common? Assuming it is the heat, what else can I do to prevent this is issue? I only have four chickens so there is space and always plenty of food (I probably over feed my birds). I do bring a variety of scraps to them but they are always on the approved list. Are chickens fragile birds and even in a well kept environment is loosing birds part of the experience? Thanks!

 

[chickenlittle21]

Try putting ice and electrolytes in their water

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Excessive heat has cumulative effects.
Give them dust baths. Blood vessels in the legs will lower their body temperature.
They can't have too much shade or ventilation. I use 90% shade cloth on all the pens exposed to the sun.
Ice water isn't good for them. For a compromised bird, it can constrict blood vessels.
A better way to do it is to refill used water bottles, freeze them and put one in each water fount. It will cool the water down without making it too cold.
What breed/s are the birds you lost?
I lost a Welsummer to heat but never lost a bird to cold.
In a particularly hot summer (over 100 and up to 110 for over a week) I opened coops in the morning and found a hen laying on the floor of the coop. I gave her a cold bath, took her into the cool basement on a towel in a cage. After a few hours, she was active. I screwed up and put her back in the coop that night. The next day she was dead. I believe had I left her in the basement 2 more days or until the weather broke, she would have fully recovered.

 

[Fluffy_Feathers]

I'm so sorry for your losses . I've only had chickens for 4 years, but I haven't lost any to the heat, at least so far. I live in Missouri, so it gets really hot here as well. Here's what helps my chickens, maybe it'll give you some ideas:

In my yard I have lots of trees and bushes... and tree like bushes that hang low and touch the ground. My chickens spend their entire days under those when it's super hot. Vegetation, in addition to providing cool shade, cool the air around it through transpiration cooling. So, cooling...but BETTER . Maybe if you don't already have good vegetation in your yard, you could get some bushes or something and plant them together in shady areas?

Here are some popular spots my chickens like to hang out:

I also put water in some of their popular areas so they don't have to leave the shade and travel across the yard to their water. I got some buckets and cut the bottom off for my "pit-stop" watering containers.

What breeds of chickens do you have? I have Buff Orpingtons and Road Island Reds, which are said to be heat hardy chickens-although Buffs are a little controversial since some websites say they aren't heat hardy and some say they are. BOs and RIRs are also cold hardy, which is perfect for places with hot summers and cold winters.

I hope this helps! Good luck!

 

[GRB73]

We are also in PA, about 30 miles north of Philadelphia. Way too hot. I use a shade cloth to provide shade. I find heat can build up under plastic tarps whereas the cloths have better airflow. I also provide bowls of cool tap water. If I'm home during the hottest part of the day I allow the girls to free range. They choose to either dust bathe or hide in the deep shade under our bushes. If you are looking for a good shade bush, one that is quick growing, plant a forsythia or two.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

I’ve only lost one chicken to heat stress and it was a meat chicken that grew too fast. I’ve never lost one to heat in my main flock. I don’t know how hot it is in PA. I live in GA where summer temps hover around 85+ with humidity pushing it closer to 95+ no matter if you’re in the shade or not. The area where my flock free ranges is around and in my barn with the hay loft. The barn is situated just inside the tree line with trees all around. I have water pretty much everywhere. I have a kiddy pool for everyone to sip and step if they want. They have access to both the dogs and goats water buckets and if they want to venture, they can walk ten feet to the pig pen and drink from their water. During the hot HOT days, the entire flock will be on the ridge (basically woods) taking dirt baths. They also stay on the cool mud from where I dump old water.

 

[Big Doggie]

This is the second summer I've lost a chicken to what I believe is heat stroke. I have a 30 foot fenced in area and thought I have provided enough areas that have shade. This summer I have put a huge tarp with poles to widen an area for shade. There is constant water supplied in a tube feeder and monitored 2x/day. I also have other areas that provide cover for shade. I live in PA and it has been hot the last two weeks. Is loosing chickens in the summer common? Assuming it is the heat, what else can I do to prevent this is issue? I only have four chickens so there is space and always plenty of food (I probably over feed my birds). I do bring a variety of scraps to them but they are always on the approved list. Are chickens fragile birds and even in a well kept environment is loosing birds part of the experience? Thanks!

I’m a newbie so I’m concerned too. Here in Mass it got up to 96 in my town. I put a paint roller tray in their run and filled it with water at night. It probably held 3 quarts. The water was crystal clean but was very muddy the next morning so I guess they are walking in it which is what I hoped. I could see them drinking constantly as well.
Just wanted to share a cheap idea to keep them cool and hydrated.

 

[BigECart]

I live in Mississippi and have never lost a chicken to the heat. Their coop/run is in a heavily shaded area, basically tucked into the trees. We have lots of bushes and overgrown areas for them to hang out if it gets hot.

Because I’m in Mississippi, I try to get heat tolerant breeds, but I had an Orpington that was heavily feathered who I just recently lost at ~8 years.

 

[rgspine]

The lost bird was a Plymouth Rock. So more electrolytes, bushes, containers of water with frozen bottles of water. I think just having a tube for water, although always filled, is a bit limiting. I will try extra tubs of water and hope for mud. Thanks everybody for your helpful comments and appreciate the chicken therapy!

 

[CatsandCrops]

The lost bird was a Plymouth Rock. So more electrolytes, bushes, containers of water with frozen bottles of water. I think just having a tube for water, although always filled, is a bit limiting. I will try extra tubs of water and hope for mud. Thanks everybody for your helpful comments and appreciate the chicken therapy!

You could also wet down their area too - mine love the sprinkler