Not dead yet - heat sickness? help

[Gypsi]

My production reds got left in their coop today, unusual, I am usually home to cut them loose for a few hours. I also fed them a watermelon that was pushing it this morning (not quite fit for human consumption but probably ok for chickens). As well as layena.
It got to 106 today. they had water. When I got home 4 hens ran out. Number 5 was perched on one of the crossmembers under the coop, and only moved when I chased her off. I immediately dunked all I could get of her into the dog's water twice, to lower her body temp. But she really hasn't perked up. Bad news, I have to be gone for 12 hours or more tomorrow, high temp is 105. I do have a dog crate and could put her in the house in the a/c.

Any tips would be appreciated. Her feathers are disordered, and above the base of her tale she does have a lump, between a skin tag and a tumor, 1/4 inch in diameter, maybe 3/8 inch long. I investigated her ruffled feathers between back and tail and found it. Her wings are droopy and she just looks miserable. Other than that and her lethargy, no signs of disease. Nose is fine, eyes appear clear.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I have had a few heat related situations over the last few weeks. I bring them in the house and allow them to stay in the A/C for a couple of days. I put a bowl of fresh water in front of them as well as give them a few drops of the Poly Vi Sol liquid vitams. I also mist them a little with water. All of the girls have survived. Have not lost one yet doing this.

Good Luck.

 

[seminolewind]

I would absolutely not lock my chickens in a coop when it's 105 out. It may kill them.

 

[Gypsi]

Quote:
In this heat, it would kill them. I have never locked them in except during the hard freeze.

I phrased that wrong. I never close my coop except during hard freezes.

I do lock them in the run, and they perch in the run at night, catch the north south and east breezes. I didn't know they'd found the perch in the coop til it snowed last winter. In the coop they eat, use the nest boxes, and leave. The run is shady, tin roof over about half of it, plus the coop is under the tin roof with air space between to allow circulation, plus a 2 ft high zone under the coop. My page has pics. The tin roof extends over a couple of feet farther than it used to.

. I just changed the sand tonight, scooped off the top couple of inches and made a compost pile in the yard, added 5 bags of playsand, I have a sprinkler running now, not aimed at them as they perch in the run, but so that it will lightly touch the edge of the sand and cool the air.

She is perkier than I thought. I believe there might have been a squabble over the nest box today. All 5 laid me an egg, 4 in the box, and one under the perches. And she is either queen hen or low hen on the totem pole. She hopped all the way to the top "prime" perch while I was out there cleaning. I shooed her off so I could get under it. Now she's on one of the lower perches, because she was last one up. But she is not socializing with the other hens. She is grooming herself. (when she didn't do that after her dunking I was really worried)

Trying to get one of my daughters to come out here around midday to pull the dogs in and let the chickens loose. One doesn't have time, the other 2 are pretending they didn't get my text.

Any other ideas? They have fresh sand, fresh food and fresh water. I can freeze them a cantaloupe and give it in the morning, but without help, not at midday.

 

[Gypsi]

I have a big dog crate in a shed. If she needs to be in a/c, I can bring her in.

 

[wnthunting]

We had problems with the heat before... one of our hens got very dehydration and sick...we took her inside in the a/c ...I got peadialite for infants...the powder that you mix with water, it is full of vitamins and electrolites . I mixed some up in a cup really strong and squirted it in her mouth with an eye droper. I used about a quarter cup... she acted better within an hour or so... I just kept her inside until the heat wave was over. I also kept the peadialite in her water while she was inside.. hope this helps . Good luck

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
That "lump" at the base of her tail could possibly be her oil gland.

 

[Gypsi]

Quote:
That would explain why it didn't look reddened or bloody. The things I do NOT know about chickens. Still waiting to see if a daughter will volunteer to tend critters tomorrow. She is ok in the run tonight I am sure. Thank you.

 

[Gypsi]

I think she is just fine. heat, maybe a hen scuffle on Thursday. I was working for 14 hours today, and gone 12 hours yesterday, so I changed the sand in the run, (removed a couple of inches and put in fresh, and put in a 2nd water bucket, made sure all water and food were fresh. She was so perky Friday morning I couldn't tell which hen she was anyhow. They were all on the perch in the run sleeping when I got home, but no one looks sick, and no one is dead. Thank you everyone.

 

[seminolewind]

Sometimes it just comes down to that- no one sick, no one dead, LOL.