Over heating... What else can I do???

[SusanPC]

Here's a photo of the pans I use. They are called Hog Pans at Tractor Supply Store. I just fill them with water about halfway (no deeper than 2 inches) and either throw in ice or a frozen water bottle. I love the Hog Pans because they are shallow, so more likely for them to step inside and easy to dump and re-fill (they do tend to poop in the water!). Also they don't tip over if I even have them filled less than halfway with water. The chickens love even standing on the edge. I have two and place them in shady spots. I guess if you have lots of chickens, you might need something bigger or more pans. The photo below includes the first egg my Easter Egger laid - right in the water pan - I guess it caught her by surprise stepping into something cool in the 100+ degree heat! She now lays her eggs in the nest box like a good girl!

 

[emma p]

Here's a photo of the pans I use. They are called Hog Pans at Tractor Supply Store. I just fill them with water about halfway (no deeper than 2 inches) and either throw in ice or a frozen water bottle. I love the Hog Pans because they are shallow, so more likely for them to step inside and easy to dump and re-fill (they do tend to poop in the water!). Also they don't tip over if I even have them filled less than halfway with water. The chickens love even standing on the edge. I have two and place them in shady spots. I guess if you have lots of chickens, you might need something bigger or more pans. The photo below includes the first egg my Easter Egger laid - right in the water pan - I guess it caught her by surprise stepping into something cool in the 100+ degree heat! She now lays her eggs in the nest box like a good girl!

Thanks for the advice!
I will have to get something for them to stick their feet in!

 

[emma p]

I have a little pullet that was acting like she was over heated a couple of weeks ago. I brought her in and I had read that someone put their chicken back outside after it was over heated and it died, I don't think it was ChickenCanoe but it could have been. Anyways, I kept her in the house for several days and when I went to put her back outside, she acted like she wasn't ready. Now, she wants to stay in the house. I have taken her out on multiple times but she stays next to me like a little kid. She runs to me if she thinks any of the other chickens are coming her way. I have her in with some chicks that are almost 6 weeks old and she seems fine with them but when they go out, she's going with them and we will see how she does.

Does she do that because she does not like the other chickens? Or the heat?
I am planning on taking my girl back out tonight after it cools off. I only have two other chickens and they love her.

 

[emma p]

Speaking of heat, I live in West Texas and I think it's cool when the temperature is only in the low 90s. We have lots of days in the 100s, even up to 107 degrees Fahrenheit! I used to freak out when my pullets started breathing with their mouth open as the temps. started to warm up in May. Then I read that if it's over 84 degrees, they will do that. Well, this is my first time with chickens, but there are many people that live in the area with chickens and even my co-worker has raised chickens for years. They have all told me to provide shade and water and they should adjust and do fine. I still go out every day mid-day and at 5:30pm and put out ice in water pans for wading and provide a fan on days with no wind, but my 21 week old chickens are doing fine. I certainly don't think it's ideal, but it seems that chickens can be raised in hot climates - even hot and dry like mine. So far, everyone is doing well and one (my EE) started laying a week ago. One small green egg every other day. Hopefully, the others will start soon, although I am sure the heat doesn't help. My other three breeds are Buff Orpington (the heat seems to affect her the most - will never pick this breed again in this heat), Barred Plymouth Rock & Silver-Laced Wyandotte (seem to handle the heat very well).

Well you are lucky it is dry where you are! The humidity is one of the things that gets us here!

 

[Sylviaanne]

Well you are lucky it is dry where you are! The humidity is one of the things that gets us here!

I have been in southern Missouri for 12 years now and came from southern Arizona. The humidity feels like a heavy weight when I go outside but I wouldn't trade my air conditioning for a swamp cooler ever again.

I have a small pool for the birds to drink out of and a larger pool for the ducks to swim and bathe in but they prefer the smaller pool. I have 8, 4 adults and 4 of their young. Today, I put the hose in the small pool while I did my chores and then I put it in the bigger pool as it was looking low. I went back out a while ago and there was a baby duck, they are as big as their parents, in the small pool and one of the adult hens in the bigger pool. I pulled the hose out and sprayed it around the grass a bit and tried to wet down some chickens but although someone here on BYC said their chickens like being sprayed, mine don't. LOL I don't mean big heavy drops either but it isn't a mister either.

 

[Papas Chickens]

Speaking of heat, I live in West Texas and I think it's cool when the temperature is only in the low 90s. We have lots of days in the 100s, even up to 107 degrees Fahrenheit! I used to freak out when my pullets started breathing with their mouth open as the temps. started to warm up in May. Then I read that if it's over 84 degrees, they will do that. Well, this is my first time with chickens, but there are many people that live in the area with chickens and even my co-worker has raised chickens for years. They have all told me to provide shade and water and they should adjust and do fine. I still go out every day mid-day and at 5:30pm and put out ice in water pans for wading and provide a fan on days with no wind, but my 21 week old chickens are doing fine. I certainly don't think it's ideal, but it seems that chickens can be raised in hot climates - even hot and dry like mine. So far, everyone is doing well and one (my EE) started laying a week ago. One small green egg every other day. Hopefully, the others will start soon, although I am sure the heat doesn't help. My other three breeds are Buff Orpington (the heat seems to affect her the most - will never pick this breed again in this heat), Barred Plymouth Rock & Silver-Laced Wyandotte (seem to handle the heat very well).

I live in AZ and it has been getting 112-118 my girls are doing fine, i dug a bowl shaped hole about 5 feet by 5 feet next to the water faucet and let it fill up with water, they seem to like it even in the sun they all go into it and when the water sinks into the ground they all s\lay and roll around in the mud lol, I call them my chicken-pigs lol, I also have Silver and Gold Laced Wyandottes, Plymouth Barred Rocks and 25 nine day old Barred Rocks, 2 White RIR and one Rare Exotic that people say it is a EE but we shall see when she gets bigger lol.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Does she do that because she does not like the other chickens? Or the heat?
I am planning on taking my girl back out tonight after it cools off. I only have two other chickens and they love her.

I don't know what was wrong with her in the first place. I could be wrong and maybe it wasn't the heat, maybe she was the low chicken in the pecking order and now she's scared to be around them. It is definitely the other chickens she is scared of. I don't know how bad the heat would affect her if she would stay out but I'm afraid that if she acts scared around the other chickens, they will be more inclined to pick on her.

 

[emma p]

She is fine now! She had a little reoccurrence of what seemed like getting to hot two days ago. Thanks for all the tips made it really easy to cool her off!

 

[Papas Chickens]

She is fine now! She had a little reoccurrence of what seemed like getting to hot two days ago. Thanks for all the tips made it really easy to cool her off!

Im glad she is doing better.