panting chickens

[hipmarye]

I didn’t think this was an emergency, but I am concerned about our little flock. It has been hot here in central Arkansas, really hot 100 +. Our chickens are panting, they are walking around with their mouths open and breathing heavily. They have plenty of fresh clean water, their run is in the shade and they can come and go from their covered coop. Any ideas on what we could do to make them more comfortable?

 

[Heidi]

I fill 1/2 of their waters with ice and the other 1/2 with water to keep it really cold - for a while. Also during the hottest time of day I put out very cold fruit for them - cantalope or watermelon. Seems to make it more bareable for them.

 

[chicknmania]

Try freezing emply plastic bottles filled with water. we do this for our guinea pigs, and they don't seem to appreciate it much..but chickens do...at the fair, every pen had a frozen bottle and the chickens were all sitting close to them. Our chickens are free range but we give ice bottles and fans to our setting hens.

 

[bayouchica]

Try running some water on the ground or get a soaker hose. Watermelon is good.
I have very shallow wading pools & put frozen milk jugs to cool their feet.

 

[countrygirl4513]

See my post "cooling off"

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Birds regulate their body temperature through their feet -- give them some shallow water to walk through.

 

[hipmarye]

Thanks for all the great ideas, I'm going to put some ice in their water and start freezing water bottles right away.

 

[aimee]

Make sure you don't fill the bottle completely full of water. It'll expand when frozen.