Meat Birds dying, HELP I think it's the heat

[LoneCowboy]

Ok, I've lost a meat bird a day for the last couple of days. I think it's the heat. We've gone from Winter to Summer and some how missed Spring. It was 90 deg today. I have them in a tractor and don't have a nice shade tree to move them under. I'm thinking of putting a fan on them. What do you think? Any other ideas? Need help, I take them in to be processed on June 11 and I want some left. HELP

 

[silkiechicken]

Frozen pop bottles, misters, and fans are all you can do short of bringing them inside! Best of luck. I had some keel over in early summer one year. It was only 75 out too and it was the morning of butcher day.

 

[willheveland]

I'd like to see what you have them in,can you post a pic?
I don't think you need a fan but you have to have shade.Even a big ol' tarp blue or green not black.Put the tarp in a way so that the sun is off them all dayand put it high enough so that the air can circulate under the tarp.Don't let the tarp hold down the heat..Always have clean fresh water for them.
How high up are you in CO? Will

 

[LoneCowboy]

here's a picture, you can kinda see their tractor in. 2/3's of the top is white corragated plastic and the other is just chicken wire I do have a small enclosed area at the back to block the wind and a place to go to get out of the rain etc.

 

[zippychickens]

How many did you start with? They look like they're getting nice and plump.
I have 4 that are only about 2 weeks old. Two have already died. I think it was a bad idea because we get really hot summers. I should have waited until fall like missprissy did. Good Luck

 

[d.k]

*Got a water hose that will reach the tractor?? Use a nozzle with a mist setting and just dampen the chickens. They will preen and fluff and cool themselves a good deal. Might need to do it twice in a day. Also, double up on waterers quickly by cutting the tops off empty plastic jugs and filling them.

 

[willheveland]

IMO I would get the top covered up for some shade.With nothing over them they may be baking out there.I would cover the top and maybe 1 side that the sun is hitting. Good luck Will

 

[WriterofWords]

We've had two days of 103 degrees, I came home to find 8 chickens standing in the duck's pool and the rest under bushes and anywhere they could find shade.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Cut the tops off plastic buckets for waterers? I'm not catching the vision. I have a big 3 gal waterer that I fill 3 times a day and an emergency waterer (for when I don't get to the water quick enough) that's a 33 cup rubbermaid storage thing full of water.

I'll cover up the rest of the top tomorrow morning. I have a fan out there now and the misting is a good idea. I'll try that too.

I had 50 to start with and lost one right off from being trambled. Lost the next one from heat probably, 3rd from an accident trying to get number 2 out of the pen and lost 2 more just today.

Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler, I'll use it to get stuff together to cool down these guys.

Thanks for all the good ideas.

 

[willheveland]

well if you started with 50 and only lost 6, thats not to bad of numbers.keep them out of the sun and i think you'll be ok.
will