Managing young chickens in the heat

[ChickenOfSpades]

I have a new little flock of 4 chickens that is getting used to living outdoors, but we're starting to hit the hottest part of the year here. It'll likely be 90F+ most days for at least the next month or two. It will undoubtedly crack 100. My home is new construction, so there's just not much in the form of shade yet.

Chickens are 9-10 weeks old or so. Tried to select breeds that are said to handle our climate well (on advice from the local farm supply store and a few friends who keep 20+ chickens here) - barred plymouth rock, black australorp, buff oprtington, blue-laced red wyandotte.

It drops down to the 60s at night, so they at least get some relief once the sun goes down. It's also high desert Utah climate (my house is in a zone 6b pocket within a larger 7a zone). Humidity isn't particularly an issue...avg is 40% this time of year, but can get much lower (today is ~20%).

How concerning is this level of heat for the chickens?

We're new to chickens, but care for much larger animals in this heat every summer (wife is a pro horse trainer, we have horses/ponies/dog/cats).

I'm going to hang up shade fabric on the run, of course make sure they have constant access to water (for drinking/wading), I'm considering putting a container with bushy plants or a small tree in front of the coop to help absorb some sun...but it'll be awhile before those would mature. Could certainly setup a fan for them.

I wouldn't personally want to walk around in a down coat in this weather, so want to make sure they're in the best shape possible.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

I have a new little flock of 4 chickens that is getting used to living outdoors, but we're starting to hit the hottest part of the year here. It'll likely be 90F+ most days for at least the next month or two. It will undoubtedly crack 100. My home is new construction, so there's just not much in the form of shade yet.

Chickens are 9-10 weeks old or so. Tried to select breeds that are said to handle our climate well (on advice from the local farm supply store and a few friends who keep 20+ chickens here) - barred plymouth rock, black australorp, buff oprtington, blue-laced red wyandotte.

It drops down to the 60s at night, so they at least get some relief once the sun goes down. It's also high desert Utah climate (my house is in a zone 6b pocket within a larger 7a zone). Humidity isn't particularly an issue...avg is 40% this time of year, but can get much lower (today is ~20%).

How concerning is this level of heat for the chickens?

We're new to chickens, but care for much larger animals in this heat every summer (wife is a pro horse trainer, we have horses/ponies/dog/cats).

I'm going to hang up shade fabric on the run, of course make sure they have constant access to water (for drinking/wading), I'm considering putting a container with bushy plants or a small tree in front of the coop to help absorb some sun...but it'll be awhile before those would mature. Could certainly setup a fan for them.

I wouldn't personally want to walk around in a down coat in this weather, so want to make sure they're in the best shape possible.

The shade cloths will help. You can also give them frozen fruit or vegetables to help cool them off.

 

[ChickenOfSpades]

The shade cloths will help. You can also give them frozen fruit or vegetables to help cool them off.

Good idea. I thought about also freezing fruits and vegetables into ice cubes/blocks so they can peck at them as the ice melts.

 

[3KillerBs]

Have you read this article yet?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

 

[SourRoses]

The shade is so important, you could also hose down a patch of ground under it in the afternoon so they have a cool spot to dig into. In your climate a mister would be very effective.
If you can't get a solid shade patch with the cloth, you might consider leaning something solid like a roof panel or wood up against the west side of the run. It's more useful to make one truly effective cool down spot than trying to partially cover a broader area.

At 9-10 weeks your birds should be fully feathered and should be able to handle the heat reasonably well.
I have 40 6 week olds in Florida at that heat difficult stage where they aren't completely feathered, and I noticed their tolerance extends up to about 92f - 95f before they get miserable. I have them on my covered porch with a fan I turn on at about 85f, so like 10am.
On the recent days we got up to 97f and stayed there, two came down with pasty butt, which is the main thing to be concerned about in the heat besides outright heat stroke / heart attack.
It's really hard on their digestive systems, so keep an eye on the wateriness of their poop as a tell for how well they're handling it.

How long the heat lasts matters a lot, often the "highs" don't tell you that.
Two hours of 95f with cloud cover the rest of the day is a lot easier on them than eight hours of 90f.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Good idea. I thought about also freezing fruits and vegetables into ice cubes/blocks so they can peck at them as the ice melts.

That’s a good idea too.

 

[aart]

A mister might work in your climate.
Here's some other ideas:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[TheyBeChillin]

I also have young chickens. They’re around 9 weeks old. Our temperatures are similar to yours, and sometimes a little hotter. I saw someone already said giving their chickens frozen fruit, which helps mine. Mine enjoy melons and go crazy for it haha
I don’t have to do this much anymore, but when they were just getting used to the heat, or on very hot days, I would get out a little bowl and fill it with water. I’d take one of the pullets and gently set their feet in the water before dipping them down to the bottom of their chest, letting it soak the feathers for a moment. It seemed to help a lot with keeping them cool in the horrid afternoon heat. They didn’t really want to be grabbed, but they didn’t mind it so much either. They don’t mind the water. Hope this helps!

 

[J-mama]

Good idea. I thought about also freezing fruits and vegetables into ice cubes/blocks so they can peck at them as the ice melts.

Peas and corn will actually raise their body temperature, so try to avoid those.

 

[NatJ]

Peas and corn will actually raise their body temperature, so try to avoid those.

Anything they digest will raise their body temperature. There is nothing special about peas and corn that would make them unusually bad or good in that respect.

Normal chicken feed raises their body temperature when they digest it too, but of course starving the chickens (nothing to digest) is not the solution either. Just provide reasonable options, and let the chickens decide how much of what to eat. (Reasonable options would mean constant access to normal chicken food and plain water, in addition to whatever frozen things you feel like offering.)