Panting chickens ?

[Sono]

Ive read but cant find the posts, of chickens panting when hot. Well Recently I added a 55 gallon drum to the original coop to add water supply to them as the 5 gallon jug was emptying faster with the 12 now instread of 6. I checked today and the water stays cold in the drum as the coop area does not get a lot of sun in the summer from the tree cover. I have noticed the past few days since we suddenly been getting 100 degree temps. The young hens (about 3 months + now like to stay in the coop mostly but I run them out often sometimes closing it up til later to keep them outside. But its all the hens panting, not hard, just beak open and cakling a lot. They have been digging and taking dirt baths, they are in shade mostly and only get sun early morning a few hours before the trees shade covers them the rest of the day. Its about as cool as I can keep them, just no breeze lately. I thought to put a hose sprinkler out but they run inside or hide to not get wet???? This is the first time Ive seen the older ones pant in the 4 years of owning them since chicks.... But also the hottest its been for them all the sudden this week. I need to order a couple solar fans one for inside the coop and one outside under the coop.

The new coop will get shade morning and evening, with a little high noon sun in the summers and in the winter will get mostly sun noon til sunset.

 

[azygous]

Panting is one way a chicken sheds excess heat, Feel their feet. They are probably hot to the touch. They are shedding heat through their feet. Feel combs and wattles. Heat is also shed through those tissues.

Try dampening the soil where the chickens like to relax and loaf. That will create evaporation, and the air can be ten degrees cooler where the soil is dampened. Chickens also enjoy lying in the damp soil where they transfer their body heat into the cool dirt.

As long as they have shade and plenty of water, they will be fine.

 

[Sono]

Panting is one way a chicken sheds excess heat, Feel their feet. They are probably hot to the touch. They are shedding heat through their feet. Feel combs and wattles. Heat is also shed through those tissues.

Try dampening the soil where the chickens like to relax and loaf. That will create evaporation, and the air can be ten degrees cooler where the soil is dampened. Chickens also enjoy lying in the damp soil where they transfer their body heat into the cool dirt.

As long as they have shade and plenty of water, they will be fine.

Yes I understand them shedding the heat, just trying to find ways to make it cooler if possible. They dont seem to like the wet ground as they will go to the dry spots instead, even if I try to spray them with water they will run inside the coop... I know the air is just hot at 100 with no breeze today... but they seem to be fine otherwise as they are actives strutting around the run as usual.

 

[aart]

Yes I understand them shedding the heat, just trying to find ways to make it cooler if possible. They dont seem to like the wet ground as they will go to the dry spots instead, even if I try to spray them with water they will run inside the coop... I know the air is just hot at 100 with no breeze today... but they seem to be fine otherwise as they are actives strutting around the run as usual.

Not sure wetting anything helps in a humid environment....
...and I assume it's humid in MO?

Humidity levels make a huge difference, in humans and I've noticed with chickens too.

The fact that they are moving around OK should alleviate your worries somewhat, but it's still hard to watch them panting.
I give electrolytes once a week, haven't had a heat death since I started that...
... and put out a huge block of ice in a shallow pan for wading and sipping.