The heat is awful!

[aggieterpkatie]

It's been mid to upper 90's and so humid here in MD lately. My poor birds are suffering. I lost a laying hen the other day, and I lost a cornish X yesterday. Two others were at death's door, but I put them in a bucket of cold water to cool them down. Their skin was SO hot to the touch! Luckily it worked because this morning I couldn't tell which 2 they were. I really feed for you all where temps are over 100!!

I believe I'll wait until Aug 1 for our next batch so it's cooling down when they're ready to be processed!

 

[blefky]

I was thinking the same thing yesterday as I was going out for the second time to fill the waterers with ice - don't know how people, let alone chickens, tolerate that kind of heat on a regular basis. I guess I'm a temperature wimp.

 

[teach1rusl]

Yes, it's been nasty lately. All you can do is the ice water, provide lots of shade, place a box fan aimed into the run for them on the really hot days...a breeze, even a warm, moist one, feels cooler than still air. Try a mister if you can (although my girls avoid it)... We have a "cold front" coming through, so are only expected to get to 87 today!!! AND less humidity!! Good luck, I especially feel for those poor heavy meat birds...

 

[jjthink]

So sad about your birds that didn't make it

At 5:30 AM this morning in NJ it was already 90 degrees with heat index. Insanity.
So far my 2 are holding on but that's with tons of shade, 3 fans, lots of ice water, and lots of icy fruit treats.
JJ

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Do you have a fan on your birds?

We bought several of the cheap box fans at Wal-mart and use them for our broilers, 4H pigs, and in our layer coop. Air flow is one of the key elements of keeping animals cool, give the cheap fans a try it should help.

Jim

 

[BackyardAR]

Heat is so bad here in Arkansas that I'm planning on holding off on starting my first meat birds until September.

We're getting a cold front today though. High is only supposed to be 97.

 

[scubaforlife]

Just some anecdotal information about Freedom Rangers, my latest batch is 3.5 weeks old. They are pretty big and are happily pecking and scratching and running into each other. It has been hovering around 90 in the day with over 80% humidity. I haven't seen one lay down and pant yet, they seem very content in the pasture pen and don't necessarily only stay in the shade. Normally if I had CXs I would be tossing dead birds to the buzzards. I think that those of you in the heat should consider the FRs, I have been very surprised so far. I am on my second batch, a coon killed the first batch at week 3.

I did lose a hen the other day in the 95+ heat.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I don't have a fan on mine. I'd have to run an extension cord outside because they're in a tractor. I've been worried about it raining on the fan so I haven't done it yet.

I've also been thinking of letting them free range so they can get into the woods where it's cooler.

 

[PineappleMama]

Quote:
HA! Now THAT is a laugh... August and September are when the heat really settles in, like a stubborn old cuss not wanting to cave... our first bit of "cold" doesn't usually hit until Halloween... within a week or two of it either way, which makes picking a costume tricky...

But, I loathe cold, so this works for me... I'd much rather be sweatin' than shivering.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Well, August is definitely hot here, but it's easier on the chicks (IMO) than the ready-for-killing birds.