Silkies are getting too hot. How to cool them down?

[jermajay]

My silkies are getting too hot - they are panting and raising their wings. Also, some have been sitting in a corner (I don't know if this is the heat, but it is weird) They're not all too hot, maybe around 4 out of 13?

They have shade in the 'coop' (it's basically a shed with mesh sides where the wind doesn't blow)

I'm not sure how to cool them down. I have heard you can dunk them in cool-ish water or spritz with water but they can't get wet because of their feathers.

Should I let them out as usual or keep them in the coop? There is shade outside, there's a quarter acre completely shaded by trees that stays pretty cool, but they can also go out in the sun and I'm not sure they're smart enough to stay in the shade.

They have water but it's only a small dog-bowl type dish - I refill it multiple times a day and it never gets low + it's cool when I touch it but I could find a larger one they can maybe step in? I don't know if that will get them too wet...

I also froze some fruit in water and am going to give it to them when it finishes. I can't get a fan because there's no electricity.

What else should I do?

 

[jermajay]

More information:
They have been panting and doing the wing thing for 2-ish days. Another chicken (not a silkie) died in her nesting box somewhere between yesterday afternoon and this morning and I think it was due to the heat.
The temperature for today is 36 degrees celsius (96f). Tomorrow is 36, then 29, 23 and 23. After that it will cool down. There are two 2 y/o, the rest were all born this year - the youngest two in October.

I'm not sure exactly who is overheating - I thought it might be the youngest (2 born in September were panting) but the two October chicks are fine, and the 2/yo hen is panting. It's mostly the white ones, but I have a partridge overheating too.

Two are lethargic and did not come out when I threw some food out (then again they have food all the time so they might just not care?) They move when I pick them out and put them somewhere else. I was thinking of bringing the panting ones inside and putting the AC on.

The 'bedding' is just dirt and some hay in the corners.

 

[NatJ]

Should I let them out as usual or keep them in the coop? There is shade outside, there's a quarter acre completely shaded by trees that stays pretty cool, but they can also go out in the sun and I'm not sure they're smart enough to stay in the shade.

If you often let them out, think about where they usually spend their time.

If your chickens usually hang out under the trees, they probably will continue to do that.

If you are not sure, you could let them out and watch to see what they do. Depending on what you see, you will know for future hot days.

Most chickens like to stay under trees: it's cooler in hot weather, but they also feel safer there (harder for predators to see them, especially hawks and anything else that flies.)

What else should I do?

Shade and cool water are the two biggies, and you've done that.

Being able to dustbathe in the shade can help-- they dig themselves down into the dirt, which is even cooler than the air. But if you let them out, they can do that too.

I've never dealt with conditions hot enough to need more than that, so I'm not sure what else to suggest.

I was thinking of bringing the panting ones inside and putting the AC on.

That sounds like a good idea.

If they cool off and go back to acting normal, you can put them back outside again-- but just having a break to cool off might make a big difference to how they feel.

 

[jermajay]

If you often let them out, think about where they usually spend their time.

If your chickens usually hang out under the trees, they probably will continue to do that.

If you are not sure, you could let them out and watch to see what they do. Depending on what you see, you will know for future hot days.

Most chickens like to stay under trees: it's cooler in hot weather, but they also feel safer there (harder for predators to see them, especially hawks and anything else that flies.)


Shade and cool water are the two biggies, and you've done that.

Being able to dustbathe in the shade can help-- they dig themselves down into the dirt, which is even cooler than the air. But if you let them out, they can do that too.

I've never dealt with conditions hot enough to need more than that, so I'm not sure what else to suggest.


That sounds like a good idea.

If they cool off and go back to acting normal, you can put them back outside again-- but just having a break to cool off might make a big difference to how they feel.

Thank you Thinking back, maybe they were trying to cool off in the dirt when they were sitting in the corner? That's where they normally dustbath. I've let them out and am just watching but they're not going out anyways so I might leave them be for a while.

 

[MadamContrary]

I'm in a hot climate, I wet the ground all around the shade for them, toss out frozen peas and corn or cold watermelon, cucumber, or apples. You can freeze jugs of water for them to lean against. Just another thought, gape worm can look like overheating, panting behavior and obvious discomfort.

 

[jermajay]

I'm in a hot climate, I wet the ground all around the shade for them, toss out frozen peas and corn or cold watermelon, cucumber, or apples. You can freeze jugs of water for them to lean against. Just another thought, gape worm can look like overheating, panting behavior and obvious discomfort.

That's a good idea, wetting the ground. I put some water bottles in the freezer for tomorrow Is gape worm the same as tape worm? I've never wormed them before so I'll do that too

 

[NatJ]

Is gape worm the same as tape worm?

No.

Tape worms live in the digestive system (intestines, etc.)

Gape worms live in the chickens' throats. I've read that chickens act like they have trouble breathing, or act like they have something stuck in their throats, when they have gape worms.