Very hot!! When is it dangerous

Date sort Score sort
F

Flowerladies

In the Brooder
Sep 20, 2023
45
43
44
We are in California and it’s 95 right now. And of course will be getting much hotter. We haven’t had our buffies in a full summer yet. Last year when it was warm, I covered the area to provide shade, made sure there was cold water and put a fan on them.
That doesn’t seem to be enough now? Even with all those things, they are still panting and holding their wings out. I even misted them with cool water. That helped, but they won’t stay in front of the fan.
What else can I do? If I am providing all those things but they are still that hot, do I need to find an area they can be air conditioned?
I’m super uncomfortable knowing that it’s dangerous for them to get overheated.
Thank you for the help!!
 
Flowerladies said:
We are in California and it’s 95 right now. And of course will be getting much hotter. We haven’t had our buffies in a full summer yet. Last year when it was warm, I covered the area to provide shade, made sure there was cold water and put a fan on them.
That doesn’t seem to be enough now? Even with all those things, they are still panting and holding their wings out. I even misted them with cool water. That helped, but they won’t stay in front of the fan.
What else can I do? If I am providing all those things but they are still that hot, do I need to find an area they can be air conditioned?
I’m super uncomfortable knowing that it’s dangerous for them to get overheated.
Thank you for the help!!
Click to expand...
Oh, and I have given them cool water to step in as well, but they won’t
 
panting and spreading wings out are how they are cooling off, because they can't sweat. I'm at those temps - near 100 three times this week, heat indexes in the 108 - 118 range (we are also high humidity). My birds find a shaded spot with good ventilation, bed into the dirt during the heat of the day (Earth, the world's largest heat sink. hahaha, dad joke), spread their wings, and pant. Early morning and later afternoon/pre dusk is when they are active.

Unless it is very dry, and you are using misters for evaporative cooling, I don't recommend adding moisture - hot moist air is the preferred condition for a host of things not great for chicken's respiratory systems; molds, mildews, and fungi primarily.

Aspergillus, for example, prefers temps between around 85-105 F, and humidity ranging from 100% at the lower temp range to roughly 90% at the higher end of the temp range.

/edit obviously, if you are in Phoenix, as the poster below - you generally have quite dry air, where misters can be very effective.

As I type this, Phoenix is 99, 28% humidity,"feels like" 101, with a projected actual high of 109.
I'm 90, 63% humidity (its our coldest day this week, over 6" of rain in the last 48 hours, we are on the dry side of the front now) "feels like" 102, with w/ a projected high of 94 today.

One of our flocks benefits from adding humidity to the air far more than the other.
 
Last edited:
We're in Phoenix. We use a smaller Evap cooler on wheels. Every spring I get it out and set a timer to come on at 11AM when it's usually 100* of close and shut off at 7:30 when they roost. They never pant when it's on. A lot of local people that post on FB are always saying they lost another.
 

Similar threads

V
Free Range & water
Replies
9
Views
1K
alwaystj9
alwaystj9
Mamatomany123
    • Sad
    • Like
    • Wow
They arent ok
Replies
7
Views
992
Happy Novogens
Happy Novogens
J
Texas Heat with Three Week old Chicks
2
Replies
16
Views
2K
Jml387
J
Ajp23
    • Like
Nesting boxes in high heat climates
Replies
5
Views
248
Ext 918
E
M3lLov3sCh1ck3ns
11 year old hen showing signs of heat stress
Replies
1
Views
233
Wyorp Rock
Wyorp Rock

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom