Possible overheated Polish hen

[blairctchickens]

The heat and heat index got in the high 90’s yesterday. Since I was at work I had my kids put a fan out by the pen to ensure there was some good air circulation around the chickens. By the way my pen and coop are in a heavily shaded portion of the yard. When I got home from work around four I checked on the chickens (about ten weeks old) and let them out of the pen to run in the yard and noticed my Polish chicken looking real lethargic and not moving real fast. Once she went back into the pen she would lay down and pant heavy closer her eyes, with her wings spread. The other chickens seemed ok and still were bouncing around in the pen. The polish hen, would try to get up walk a few steps and lay down and continue the same symptoms I just described. So I brought some water out in a bowl and soaked her feet in it for a while to cool her down but she was still lethargic. So I brought inside the house and used a syringe with water to make sure she was getting some fluids. Put her in a temporary box inside for the night, with water and food. She survived the night and has been drinking some water on her own and eating some meal worms but still kind of lethargic and laying around. She is starting to peep a little as well. By the way her poop is slightly green (likes grass) kind of coiled into a snake like formation, looks somewhat normal to me. I have scoured the website for any information but have not come to a solution if I should put her back in the coop tonight or monitor her more in the house or what medication to give and or if her electrolytes are down. Any help would be appreciated!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If it stays hot, I'd hold her out at least another day.
I lost a hen to heat in the extreme summer of 2012. She was sprawled out in the coop in the morning. I gave her a cool bath and put her in a cage in the basement. She seemed fine the next day so I put her back in the coop and she was dead the next day.
I'm sure she would have recovered if I kept her in the basement a few more days.

 

[Pork Pie]

If you look at @sourlands posts from yesterday, you will find very good advice from Sourland and @wyorp rock on the subject. Just go to eithers' profiles and look at their posts.

Sorry, I can't access them readily right now.

Ct

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If it stays hot, I'd hold her out at least another day.
I lost a hen to heat in the extreme summer of 2012. She was sprawled out in the coop in the morning. I gave her a cool bath and put her in a cage in the basement. She seemed fine the next day so I put her back in the coop and she was dead the next day.
I'm sure she would have recovered if I kept her in the basement a few more days.

X2 I agree with @ChickenCanoe holding her out for another day or two won't hurt and it's a good way to monitor how she is doing.

Push fluids, plain water, electrolytes or something like poultry nutri-drench if you have it. Provide her regular feed (you can offer it wet if you like) and a few treats, but she will need her normal nutrition to recover. If you want to "spoil her" give her some hard boiled egg, tuna or meat for extra protein (these can easily be mixed with her feed).


http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/07/chicken-heat-stress-dehydration-and.html

 

[blairctchickens]

Well with two days resting in the AC, Prussia the Polish hen, seems to have recovered ok. Pushed electrolytes and gave some special treats. She went in the pen this morning and was happy to be back with her flock,

I just wish this heat here would go away! we are not even in summer yet and we are high 90's with crazy humidity.

.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad she has recovered

I think we all are feeling the heat and humidity.
I would keep an eye on her since she has all those feathers on her head she may suffer from the heat exposure more quickly, than say one with a straight comb. Combs help dissipate heat as well as the chicken panting.

Other things I have found mine do seem like when it's hot is fans. I have one that blows across the run, this at least helps to move air on the humid days. I also have one in a coop window that blows across. The air temp in the coop stays about 5-7degrees cooler so when the girls lay their eggs they are hopefully a little more comfortable. I do leave the fans on at night to help with mosquitoes (I have the coop one set to go off if it get down around 55). The other day it was 98 then it dropped to around 54 that night, so we can have wild swings in temps, but they all seem to adjust ok so far.

I don't' mean to ramble and this is not aimed at anyone or anything, this is just an observation I have made with my own flock. I make sure the water is cold and give some weeds, etc., to work on mid morning, when it's still fairly cool, if I give something later it is usually a mash with cold/frozen veggies/fruit chopped up, just enough for them to consume in about 15 mins. or I give melon,etc. Then I leave them alone and just watch during the main heat of the day. I've found that mine will dust bath or find a cool patch of dirt to hang out in for a while, no one is panting and they all are happy-just chillin', but if I come out they all get up, run around with the usual meet and greet and then start to pant and seem warm, that may sound extreme, but leaving them be for a few hours and just watch to make sure no one is in distress, seems to work best for me. After 6pm when it starts to cool, then I give a "before bed" treat like a little sunflower seeds or oatmeal. (They have their normal feed available at all times in the coop.)


http://hencam.com/faq/hot-weather-care/

 

[blairctchickens]

I was wondering about her head feathers keeping the heat in. Yep got ice blocks with fans going at the side of the pen!

A coworker made the comment "he wished he was one of my chickens, to be getting all this special treatment!"

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I was wondering about her head feathers keeping the heat in. Yep got ice blocks with fans going at the side of the pen!

A coworker made the comment "he wished he was one of my chickens, to be getting all this special treatment!"

The things we do for our peeps.

I hope she continues to do well.

 

[blairctchickens]

Just wanted to post an observation to how Prussia is doing. She has built up her strength back and is moving up the pecking order. she is quick to let the other hens know she is not weakling any more.

Also since the heat here in Kansas as broke the birds are sleeping in longer, and not out in the pen at the crack of dawn. We are pleasantly surprised to find the hens are now actively using the roosts in the coop. Hope everyones birds are doing ok!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just wanted to post an observation to how Prussia is doing. She has built up her strength back and is moving up the pecking order. she is quick to let the other hens know she is not weakling any more.

Also since the heat here in Kansas as broke the birds are sleeping in longer, and not out in the pen at the crack of dawn. We are pleasantly surprised to find the hens are now actively using the roosts in the coop. Hope everyones birds are doing ok!

So glad to hear she is doing well!



Sleeping in must be contagious - the last couple of mornings it has been in the 60s and no one seems to want to come out. Mine haven't been going to bed until close to 9pm though.
Days are still quite hot and humid, so I suppose they are taking an extra snooze in the cool morning.