Please Help With Chicken Injury!

[connerscroft]

Went Outside To Lock Up The Chickens And Found A Rooster Down. When You Stand It Up It Just Falls Back Over On Its Side. We Had 110 Degree Weather Here Today - Can This Be Heat Stroke? I Do Not Know The Symptoms Of Heat Stroke As I Am A Newbie To Chickens. Can Someone Please Help Me - Thanks In Advance.

 

[luvmydux]

Could be heat stroke.....my chickens act like they are going to die when it is 95 degrees. Either way sounds like he needs to spend the night inside and get some TLC. Good luck

 

[ReikiStar]

Bring him inside and cool him down. A cool (not cold) bath would help and make sure you get electrolytes in him (Gatorade will work).

 

[connerscroft]

I have nursed him over night in a cool water bath, gave hime sugar water (which he is drinking a little of) and even tried a little watermelon. He seems worse this morning. He is very limp and not very responsive. Is there anything else I can do for him? We have him layed on a damp cloth in the bathtub. I am very concerned that he is not going to pull thru this. This is my first experience with something like this. What are the signs of heat stroke/exhaustion in a chicken & do they typically recover if given proper care? Please respond.

 

[gmendoza]

if you have a cooler on,put him next,but not in front of the cooler,or by a vent so his body temp will go down.

 

[connerscroft]

Well, he just passed on

I feel terrible that this happened and hope I can prevent it in the HOT days to come. We (in south central Oklahoma) have been holding steady at 105 degree + weather for the last week with no break in temp in sight. I did not know it would be so hard to keep chickens in the extreme heat

I am taking better precautions today so that hopefully this will not happen twice. Thanks again to those who advised. Hoping every one out there in chicken land stays cool.

 

[gmendoza]

Im so sorry for your loss.

Go buy a buy fan for in your coop.then get a long and medium deep plastic tote and fill in with ice.Then put that tote in front of the fan and viola! a chicken cooling system.

 

[ReikiStar]

I'm very sorry to hear he passed.

But at least you know more and can protect your other birds from the heat. Their natural body temperature is already pretty high, about 103F.

If you see your birds panting and holding their wings away from their bodies, that's a sure sign they are too warm.

We put out extra water with electrolytes added in the shady areas on hotter days.

Certain breeds handle heat better (smaller breeds with large combs handle the heat better and likewise, don't do as well in cold winter regions. While the bigger bodied birds tend to have trouble in the heat but can stand colder winter temps.) You need to buy birds that can live in your region. I have to forgo some of the lovelier Mediterranean breeds because we're cold and/or wet 3/4's of the year.