When to mist/provide electrolytes during the summer

[SusanD]

Hi,

I had a question about helping chickens cope with heat. So far (our weekend weather got up to 85 this weekend), I have been relying on shade (the area where our chickens are gets shade in the afternoon) and on changing their brackish water for cold water when I get home from work (about 5). I did notice that my Langshan was panting this afternoon (but that went away after she had a couple swigs of cold water, and she was running around with the other two). At what temperature (I think the hottest summer temperatures where I am are 90 something and rarely 100) would I need to worry about misting and/or providing supplemental electrolytes?

Thanks,

Susan

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hi,

I had a question about helping chickens cope with heat. So far (our weekend weather got up to 85 this weekend), I have been relying on shade (the area where our chickens are gets shade in the afternoon) and on changing their brackish water for cold water when I get home from work (about 5). I did notice that my Langshan was panting this afternoon (but that went away after she had a couple swigs of cold water, and she was running around with the other two). At what temperature (I think the hottest summer temperatures where I am are 90 something and rarely 100) would I need to worry about misting and/or providing supplemental electrolytes?

Thanks,

Susan

Chickens don't have sweat glands so electrolytes will not benefit them greatly. However a chicken does need a small amount of electrolytes to help with producing or transmitting nerve messages. Chickens however do pant to shed body heat. Shade from a relentless Summer Sun is important to a chicken every minute of the day. Water is important to a chicken because they do kind of sweat through their mouths.

Because chickens are descended from the Wild Jungle Fowl they handle wet heat very well. It is the hot dry kind of heat found in direct Sun light that gives chickens the most trouble.

 

[SusanD]

Thanks for your reply. I suppose I was thinking electrolytes, because I read that they were sometimes given to chickens with serious heat stress. I don't think shade will be an issue, because the way their run is set up, they do have a shaded area they can go to anytime of day. I will try to come up with some additional ways to keep them cool (maybe misting or adding ice to their water) as the weather gets hotter.

 

[drumstick diva]

Some folks like to have sandy area and wet it down often - the chickens are said to really enjoy it - cool feet - cool chicken. Maybe be something else to try.

 

[RubyPriestess]

My flock of nine enjoys having a small, shallow wading pool set under the shade of the trees.
I let them out to free range every morning, and by early afternoon they're all gathered around the wading pool cooling their feet off or taking a sit. The resident duck enjoys hanging out in there with them as well!

I've also read other suggestions, such as a solid ice bucket in the coop for hot summer nights.

 

[appps]

Had to do a bit of a conversion . So you are nearly 30c. As long as they have plenty of shade and water I don't worry till it hits the mid to high 30s. (95-100)

That said though it isn't just about how hot it gets, but if it's gradually gotten up to those high temps or hit suddenly. If the weather has been mostly pretty mild then out of the blue you have a high one it's going to affect them as they won't be used to it much more than if it's slowly got hotter and hotter over the season so they have acclimatised to a degree by the time the real heat hits.

When it hits 40 here (104) I run misters on a on mist for 5 minutes every 15 minutes timer. The mister is set up in some shady trees so it cools the air under the trees quite noticeably. Worst we have had is 114.8f (46c) and the misters got them all through it.

 

[blandaaffonso]

Can someone please help me. I left my one week old baby ducking and went away for 2 and a half days and I came back the water was gone when I thought I put it enough... Will my baby duckling survive ? I am freaking out he's laying on me so weak

 

[SusanD]

Thanks all for your replies. Ruby, I like your idea of a wading pool. I was wondering though, how you would keep them from fouling the water? And also, how deep/shallow you make yours (I can see where they might like getting their feet wet, but am not sure what they would think of getting their feathers wet.

Susan