Author Topic: Hot weather and stress on chickens  (Read 13095 times)

Jess

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« on: June 02, 2011, 10:55:24 AM »
Morning,
Lately we have been having very hot and dry weather here.
It has been 100 plus, and today is forcast to be 101, with no end in sight.
My chickens walk around with their mouth open panting.
They are sheading feathers a lot.
I am keeping them all the water and feed they can eat and drink.
I have a lot of shade trees and bushes for the to get under.
Question, what else can I do to make them comfortable?
I am hopeing for a break, but the weather channel just gave the local forcast for the next 7 days and the coolest day was 99.
I don\'t know what we are going to do when it gets summertime, like in July and August  
Thanks
Jess

Jean

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2011, 11:43:22 AM »
I have never lost an ameraucana to heat.

Some things I do in July and August up here is put ice cubes in the water or lay out frozen water bottles for the birds to lay on.

You can also make a mister system with pvc pipe and little nozzles purchased from Home Depot or Lowes.  They are quite inexpensive.

Fresh water is the main thing they need.
Jean

Jess

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2011, 11:57:37 AM »
Thanks Jean,
I just feel sorry for them, they seem so uncomfortable.
I check on their water often and they sure are drinking a lot.
I let them run free range, so they can move around and find a shade to get under.
The only bad thing is that they like to get in Elaines flower beds, but thats OK with her.
Thanks
Jess

Mike Gilbert

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2011, 03:09:21 PM »
My poultry barn has large doors on both ends with a walkway down the middle.  Chickens in pens on both sides.   In hot weather I use a box fan at high speed near the north door to keep the air moving.

Beth C

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2011, 10:56:30 AM »
I second the fan, and anything you can do to increase shade for birds that are penned. I like camo leaf netting (mine is military surplus, but they probably sell it in sport shops, too, since people use it for deer/duck blinds) because it provides shade w/o restricting air flow. Paul Smith told me last year his birds do well up to about 105, over that he starts losing them, and I\'ve found that to be true here as well - I lost quite a few last year but not until it got up to 107, then they started dropping like flies. I finally got desperate and turned them all loose until fall. It\'s a calculated risk - lots of things can happen to a loose bird - but in the approx. 3 months they were loose I didn\'t lose a single bird, and I was losing 2-3 a week before that, so for me it was definitely the lesser of the 2 evils.

John

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2011, 04:23:34 PM »
The heat has hurt my ability to ship chicks the last two weeks.  The temp has to be between 10 and 85 degrees to ship, but that has been exceeded and chicks are being raised in my brooders that were meant to go to customers.
There is just no way that I can fill many more of the orders for chicks that I have this year.  Some customers have agreed to move thier orders to next year and I\'ve already received my first order for the 2012 hatching season.
Next year I\'ll go back to not hatching in June...just too hot.  
The birds here are doing well with the heat wave.  Fresh cold water, shade and exhaust fans do the trick.  I\'m sure happy we live in mid Michigan where the climate is quite moderate.

Mike Gilbert

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2011, 04:36:34 PM »
I was going to ship two boxes of started and young adult birds today, but the hour by hour forecast indicated it would still be too hot by the time the post office closed.  It is supposed to be much cooler for about the next week, so I\'ll ship Monday.   LaCrosse had triple digits yesterday, and today can\'t be far behind.  Our thermometer reads upper 90\'s.
The chickens seem to be taking the heat pretty well here.  The red deer just stand in the shade and pant.   They would rather it be 10 below zero.

Jean

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2011, 06:53:43 PM »
Current conditions ºF | ºC  
Newman Lake, WA
Current Weather
As reported 2:52 p.m.
UV index: 4 Moderate
Winds: CALM
Humidity: 44%
Pressure: 30.02 in  
Dew point: 37ºF
Visibility: 10.00 miles
Sunrise: 4:50 AM
Sunset: 8:44 PM
 Mostly Cloudy
 
59ºF
Feels like 59ºF
 
 
Jean

Beth C

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2011, 08:26:45 PM »
Now that\'s just cruel!  :p I think our overnight low is going to be in the mid 70\'s.

I have started birds for sale locally, but don\'t see shipping anything before the end of Sept.

Mike Gilbert

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2011, 08:59:42 PM »
Jean, you are a sadist.

Jean

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2011, 12:04:14 AM »
??What??  :p
Jean

Paul

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2011, 08:12:33 AM »
I\'m hoping to ship our last hatch of 2011 next Wednesday, June 15.  We have been in the mid to upper 90\'s for several days with no rain.  I know the PO won\'t accept any older birds but the chicks may still be shipped.  After all-they hatch at 99.5º!  I had rather see it hot than cold.  I\'m almost thawed out from last Feb.  A few 100 + days and I think I\'ll be back to normal after the great freeze of 2011.
Paul Smith

Mike Gilbert

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2011, 09:38:38 AM »
Quote from: Jean
??What??  :p


It is currently 55 degrees here this morning.  I had to turn the brooder lights back on.  The forecast is for a high of 72 today and a high of 62 tomorrow with rain.   A-h-h-h.  

John

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2011, 09:54:15 AM »
Quote
the chicks may still be shipped

Paul,
The 10 to 85 degree limit (except for fish) is the rule for Delta airlines and most of my chicks go on thier planes.  I don\'t know of a temperature range that the post office mandates and that leaves a lot to the discretion of the clerks.
Hope you\'re having better results filling orders this year than I have.

Guest

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Hot weather and stress on chickens
« Reply #14 on: June 09, 2011, 06:28:57 PM »
Quote from: John
The heat has hurt my ability to ship chicks the last two weeks.  The temp has to be between 10 and 85 degrees to ship, but that has been exceeded and chicks are being raised in my brooders that were meant to go to customers.
There is just no way that I can fill many more of the orders for chicks that I have this year.  Some customers have agreed to move thier orders to next year and I\'ve already received my first order for the 2012 hatching season.
Next year I\'ll go back to not hatching in June...just too hot.  
The birds here are doing well with the heat wave.  Fresh cold water, shade and exhaust fans do the trick.  I\'m sure happy we live in mid Michigan where the climate is quite moderate.


Sending you an email; we may be able to help each other.  ;)