Oppresive Heat - Hen is looking like she's in severe distress

Orit

Songster
12 Years
Jun 21, 2011
197
140
226
Philadelphia, PA
Hello,
The temps out here are at 100 degrees (with humidity, they are saying it feels like 110). It's oppressive!!! My 2-year-old Americauna was standing very, very still in the shade created by overhanging bushes/tree limbs, and right next to the drinker. I just put a frozen watermelon out right next to her as well. She didn't seem interested, although the other hens went to town. She hunkered down on the ground for a bit. I picked her up without resistance and dipped her feet in the kiddie pool. That's the only time she displayed any energy and hopped out and then just stood there. I carried her back to the shady spot with the water and watermelon, and I brought out a tupperware container with frozen water and left it next to her to perhaps cool her off. She looks very bloated. She's not panting or lifting her wings. She's definitely not moving much. Her eyes close every now and then. I'm scared I am losing her! Any advice would be SO appreciated!!!
 
Hello,
The temps out here are at 100 degrees (with humidity, they are saying it feels like 110). It's oppressive!!! My 2-year-old Americauna was standing very, very still in the shade created by overhanging bushes/tree limbs, and right next to the drinker. I just put a frozen watermelon out right next to her as well. She didn't seem interested, although the other hens went to town. She hunkered down on the ground for a bit. I picked her up without resistance and dipped her feet in the kiddie pool. That's the only time she displayed any energy and hopped out and then just stood there. I carried her back to the shady spot with the water and watermelon, and I brought out a tupperware container with frozen water and left it next to her to perhaps cool her off. She looks very bloated. She's not panting or lifting her wings. She's definitely not moving much. Her eyes close every now and then. I'm scared I am losing her! Any advice would be SO appreciated!!!
Hi Orit I'm praying for your hen!
 
Give her a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.

Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place. Always have plain water available too.
full


Might even bring her inside to a cooler place just for an hour or so, wile she drinks the EL. Might have to soak a qtip and hold it on the side of her beak so a bit wicks into her mouth, stoke under her beak and on the front of her neck to stimulate her swallowing.
 
Give her a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.

Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place. Always have plain water available too.
full


Might even bring her inside to a cooler place just for an hour or so, wile she drinks the EL. Might have to soak a qtip and hold it on the side of her beak so a bit wicks into her mouth, stoke under her beak and on the front of her neck to stimulate her swallowing.
This sounds like a good plan. However, I don't have any Sav-a-Chick. I'm going to order some right now from Amazon so hopefully it will come tomorrow. Is there anything I can give her in the meantime? Should I just bring her inside to cool her off? I did see her drink a few sips of water but she's back to being on the ground looking very bloated.
 
Also, if I think about it, I'm in the process of integrating 3 new 13-week-old chicks into the flock and I've been sneaking them on to the roost at night to sleep with the older girls. I came down at 5 in the morning to see how the "babies" were, and noticed that she was the only one from existing flock that was still "sleeping" on the roost. I thought that was curious but didn't think anything of it. Perhaps she was already experiencing the affects of the heat last night?
 
Should I just bring her inside to cool her off?
Maybe but just for a very short time, take her to a place that's only about 10-20 degrees cooler so as not to shock her with temp changes.
I do this in the winter for cold stress, we call it a 're-set'.
Get her to drink some cool(not ice cold) water and see if she'll eat some regular feed.
Then take her back out.
Are your other birds suffering the same way?

looking very bloated
What do you mean by bloated?
Is her belly from just below vent to down between her legs) swollen?
 
Maybe but just for a very short time, take her to a place that's only about 10-20 degrees cooler so as not to shock her with temp changes.
I do this in the winter for cold stress, we call it a 're-set'.
Get her to drink some cool(not ice cold) water and see if she'll eat some regular feed.
Then take her back out.
Are your other birds suffering the same way?


What do you mean by bloated?
Is her belly from just below vent to down between her legs) swollen?
I have her inside. She was curious for a few minutes and walked around but then came back to the towel I had on the floor. I put water in front of her and some dried worms. She maybe ate 1 worm (usually she goes bananas) and won't drink the water. I tried the q-tip technique with the water and she drank a tiny bit. By bloated, I mean when I pick her up she seems fuller and she looks all puffed up too.
IMG_5824.JPG
 
I have her inside. She was curious for a few minutes and walked around but then came back to the towel I had on the floor. I put water in front of her and some dried worms. She maybe ate 1 worm (usually she goes bananas) and won't drink the water. I tried the q-tip technique with the water and she drank a tiny bit. By bloated, I mean when I pick her up she seems fuller and she looks all puffed up too.View attachment 1851148
Oh - and the other hens seem to be managing. They are eating the watermelon, getting deep into the dirt, etc... Here is another pic of my hen in distress. I'm so worried she is dying. :(
IMG_5827.JPG
IMG_5827.JPG
IMG_5828.JPG
 

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