High temperatures and keeping chickens cool

Sonya · **Joined:** Wed Jan 01, 2014 5:43 pm **Posts:** 13

We are expecting very high temperatures here in Victoria soon and as I only have two girls I will bring them in the house during the hottest part of the day and putting frozen bottles of water in their water bowels but it must be a worry for people with many chickens. I have heard lots of terrible stories of birds dying from the heat. Would like to know any tips from experienced breeders for us newbies for the Summer months .

Bill · **Posted:** Fri Jan 10, 2014 10:27 am

I have been keeping poultry a very long time and have several dozen friends many of which are the top breeders in this country. I can say this "birds dying from the heat" or "heat stress" is all just a poor excuse for very bad animal husbandry and lack of common sense by idiots. If your fowl are healthy and kept in the correct conditions then you will have NO problems on hot day. ONLY sick, diseased and or poorly housed birds are at risk its that simple.

Here is a topic of facts on the subject viewtopic.php?f=6&t=57225 my advice is stay well clear of people loosing any numbers of fowls on hot days, they are a$$holes that should not have any birds, they just make excuses for their poor skills

P_Edwards · **Joined:** Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:50 am **Posts:** 71403

Bill and I agree with you wholeheartedly

I have never lost a chicken and we have had very high 40's many times. I have many friends with chooks and ducks ... none of them have lost a bird on a hot day not 1 bird.

I think some people say that to cover up the truth about whats really going on

and maybe a visit from the RSPCA is needed urgently at their place!

Andy · **Posted:** Fri Jan 10, 2014 10:54 am

You feel for the animals having to be around people like that, perhaps in the end they go to a better place and no more suffering

Cordelia · **Posted:** Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:13 pm

Its easy for those types to blame the heat than to look in the mirror.

As Bill wrote all the plain facts are at viewtopic.php?f=6&t=57225

I will add that adding ice blocks to their water is the dumbest idea going almost as bad as wetting fowls on hot days or taking them into your house or in one womans case her tailer park home :roll:

Birds drink water early morning and late afternoon RARELY during the day.

3 most basic steps to hot days

1) make sure your coop in in shade from mid morning to late afternoon in summer
2) make sure your coop is well ventilated
3) make sure you chooks/birds have fresh clean water [in the shade at all times]

I am sorry :oops:

I know this is so basic for animal care :oops:

but there are very silly people out there that have no idea and just blame the heat stress which is a myth in reality

Bobkat · **Posted:** Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:04 pm

Cordelia wrote:

1) make sure your coop in in shade from mid morning to late afternoon in summer
2) make sure your coop is well ventilated
3) make sure you chooks/birds have fresh clean water [in the shade at all times]

I do these three things and have never lost a chicken, though this is only my second summer with 4 chooks. I do notice the RIR handles the heat harder than the others - pants heavily with her beak open. I give them grated vegetables eg zucchini, stewed apple from the windfall that is frozen. They like it very much and maybe it helps cool her - she certainly looks less uncomfortable after eating anything thawing out and it's all food which is good for them. I also put small frozen water bottles into their nesting boxes. A couple of them can spend more than an hour laying. If the day is 40+ then it's a lot hotter than that in the box and, again, I see them breathing very heavily, open mouthed, yet sticking to the box till the laying is done. I don't purport that I am saving them from death by heat stress - I don't know enough about it to be sure - but I am certainly making them more comfortable on extremely hot days.

Bill · **Posted:** Fri Jan 10, 2014 5:19 pm

Just like air cond does for humans it makes us more "comfortable" in the case of birds well it does very little and can be more harmful than good but it makes US feel good. If your birds are healthy and house correctly then NO

you are not saving their lives as their lives are not in danger.

Don't think of chickens as humans THEY are far smarter

Heritage Pekins · **Joined:** Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:16 am **Posts:** 2

We have had many, many years of 45-50c in summer and the same as all the honest breeders we have never lost a chook in the heat never. I have never given frozen water bottles or ice blocks or any of that nonsense all that's for is to make the owner feel better. My advice is to jot down any names of anyone loosing chooks to 'heat' and then never buy from them and tell others as good chooks don't die from heat.

P.s beak panting is normal and natural just like a dog panting.

buff · **Joined:** Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:09 am **Posts:** 1

I just have a sprinkler on the roof on the coop and on the hottest days like 40+ I will turn it on a couple of times. I have had indian game and sussex for 17 years never had 1 die on a hot day and nor would I expect it

freerange · **Posted:** Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:21 am

When bad things happen to bad people its God's justice against evil

AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

High temperatures and keeping chickens cool

Who is on the Forum