Overheating

[PotterWatch]

How do I keep my chicks from overheating outside. We live in So. California and we are having a hot few days right now. How can I keep my chicks (ages 2 and 3 wks) from overheating outside. They have plenty of water but are still holding their wings out and their beaks open. Do I have to bring them in? Thanks for the help.

 

[MandyH]

Cover the top of the pen so they will have some shade.

 

[RoostersCrow]

Provide cool water and some shade. Plenty of water!

 

[ticks]

I went to check on my chicks on wednesday and the brooder was 120* they were beat. I am glad I didn't go to sleep that night before checking.

 

[PotterWatch]

They are already in shade. It is currently running around 95. Will they die in that heat since it's still that hot in the shade? Will their resistance to the heat get better as they get older? It is just going to get hotter here this summer...

 

[MandyH]

Here where I live it gets up to 95 in the summer pretty regularly and the humidity is AWFUL. Mine learn to lay around or they will lay in the tall cool grass or dig them a big old hole in the dirt and take dirt baths to cool themselves. They will get used to it eventually, I have never lost one to the heat, that I know of.

 

[dlhunicorn]

>restrict feed four hours before the hottest part of the day (take it away...this is because the body produces heat when process it) ...do not give any scratch in hot weather at all...just feed

>put out cold watermelon (often they will peck at this when they show no interest in their water which will help dehydration issues...in the evening use it as a "bowl" for their feed )

if they pant continually you will need to put electrolytes in their waterer.

You can also consider allowing them in the basement during the hottest part of the day if particularly high temps are alarming you....
I live in holland and rarely experience the extreme temps you all do in USA but even then my birds go under my hedge and dig down deep (cool earth. cooling their feet is the quickest way to reduce heat) into the earth way underneath the hedge and this is just with weather not even in the 80's

 

[onthespot]

For todayou can try soaking an area in their pen, or soak some shavings for them cool off in. Also, for heat management over the long term you might want to get a patio type water mister set from home depot, as well as a twist/dail type garden timer from Walmart in the garden section, run around ten bucks. Those are the greatest. You just dial the time you want the misters to run, say, five, twenty or a hundred twenty minutes, and walk away and it shuts down by itself after x amt of time. You can add sand to the floor so it doesn't get muddy when wet. I live in Riverside CA and let me tell you, it gets hot here too and I have all sorts of birds, lovebirds, cockatiels, parrotlets, finches, doves in addition to the chickens. Only rarely lose one to the heat. #1 thing, is clean, fresh, cool (if you can) water for the birds. If it is going to be a record breaking day you can freeze plastic liter bottles of water and set them inside the waterer lip end down and as they melt the ice will drain out and they will have cold water when i is the hottest in the day. another source of heat is reflected heat from the surrounding ground. If the shelter roofing extends beyond the actual footprint of your enclosure it really helps cut down on the temp inside the enclosure. If you can't do that, then if you can shield the sunny side of the pen with whatever, even a sheet if you have to until you figure out what to do permanent, it will help a TON. Hope this helps some. Good luck!
Patty

 

[fun monitor]

I'm in southern California too and to be honest, I brought my "babies" who are about 5 weeks old inside for the hottest part of the day, probably 12-5. They just weren't tolerating the heat at all, since they hadn't been acclimated to it yet. They did spend their first night outside with no heat lamp though!

The rest of the chicks and hens are outside and doing okay. They're panting a lot, so I'll put some electrolytes in their water per dlhunicorn's recommendation, as well as restrict their scratch feed. I'm on garden watch while DH is working so I'm outside spraying down the garden 3-4 times a day, so I'll mist down the run while I'm out there too. I have other sprinklers for the sloped part of my yard and the mist from those cools down the other side of the run. The moisture dries out so fast and they're dusting a lot in the cool dirt.

I'm going to buy a watermelon today - that sounds fun!