Summer 2012 and losing chickens to the heat........

[bburn]

Just went out to water again and check for eggs.

One chicken dead under the satellite dish and two down and barely moving. My DH helped me get the live ones out and he took care of the dead one.

I give fresh water several times a day. There is shade in all four coops and run and I have added tarps to block the evening sun.

I am sad and feeling pretty bad about not doing 'enough'.

The two hens might make it. Have given them vitamin water with a dropper. Both are trying to move around. I ran water over them both and soaked them down and they are in the shade.

You know 105 in Arkansas in the shade is none to cool.

Praying for all the chickens in this heat.

 

[Mattemma]

So sorry for the losses you are experiencing.

We have had 90's here in my area of Ohio.I find my birds hanging out in our corner wooded spot.They like to roll around in the cool dirt holes they made,and they seem to enjoy the watermelon I give from the freezer(not frozen just real cold).I don't have ice,but some people put that in the waterers.

I have seen some people have fans and misters like you see at the grocery produce sections.I noticed that the sand I put in the woods is cooler too.

Hope you find a way to help them.Electrolyte powder in the water might help too.

 

[bburn]

Now three dead. The two that were in bad shape made it through the night and are out pecking in dirt of the hospital run. One more hen in the hospital. Found her this morning barely able to walk.

I have looked up how to make electrolytes for chickens online. I have a gallon jug with it in the freezer getting cold and another one in the fridge. I made a new shady spot in the sunniest run and wet it down underneath.

You know it is hot when my DH said last night that maybe we should put a fan out there!! Three weeks ago when I mentioned it he went on about it for hours....after all they are just chickens.

After all the loses that I have had this year he is finally thinking about it.

 

[Matthew3590]

It can only help for a little while but I freeze water bottles then toss them out there. My hens will rest up against them. I also run a sprinkler system (not a huge one that waters the yard but a mini one that shoots straight up) and the chickens will often put there feet n the puddles or let the water hit them.

 

[katescountryfarm]

We have had some HOT weather here in FL. I have been freezing water jugs and putting them in their water and leaving a few around the coop. Mine seem to be cooling off by standing in the water dish. A kiddie pool purchase may be in my future. I haven't had any deaths but they do a lot of panting by 4:00pm.

 

[mstricer]

I'm in Ohio and we had had that heat wave last couple weeks off and on. I let scratch weeds grow in our run and they are tell and it ended up shading it enough to keep it cool for the chicks as for all the adult birds they hightailed it out to the woods for the heat of the day. I can not stress.enough the importance of fresh cold water all day. I actually left work early 3 days in a row because of the heat and was filling waters 3 times a day. Sorry for your bird losses