Boy It's Hot Out There

[Jean]

Remember to make sure your birds have lots of cool water to drink and if possible give them shade.

We have had unseasonably warm weather for this time of the year.  It is supposed to be 105 tomorrow.

If possible get a mister for your birds or put water in a short pool for them to wade in.  Old plastic pop bottles with frozen water in them also can provide a way for your birds to cool off.  Just freeze and set them in their pen.

Take care of yourselves too!  Be sure you are also drinking lots of water!  And do your chores early in the morning or late in the evening.

 

[Birdcrazy]

Thank goodness we have not had the extreme heat here. Highs in the high 80's to 95. With all of the rain we have been having, the humidity has been constantly high which really makes it mucky. This is the first year that I can remember having trouble keeping the humidity down in the incubator. Looking back, I probably could have dry incubated without water trays until the final 3 days of lockdown in the hatcher. It has been a rather dismal year otherwise. All poultry shows cancelled in the state and most surrounding states. The ban on all swap meets, auctions and sales involving poultry. Our local poultry club was to have a meeting tomorrow, but it was cancelled due to no planning for our fall show as it was banned by the state. Thank goodness for the Forum and a chance for "chicken talk". I sure hope this ban gets lifted in January as stated and things can get back to normal.

[Susan Mouw]

For the first time in months, we are actually having below 90 weather!  It's a nice breezy 66 outside right now.  Some of the younger chicks (4-5 weeks) were actually up on the roost and fluffed out like they were cold!

Hope we've broken this heat spell for a bit. I haven't lost any birds, but it's been a challenge!

[Don]

The heat has finally reduced here for a time and humidity is down a bit too. It is a nice break for sure.
I hope you have the best luck with this heat wave there.  We have previously discussed adding some wet mash to the diet to increase the water intake.  We can add some ice chips in the mash if you have it available.  Just offer them as much as they will eat in one day, no left over wet feed to mold.  Electrolytes might help in the water if you can add these during these times of stress.  And fans to help keep air moving a bit if the air starts to get stagnant.  Also, watch out for the buffalo flies that some had problems with a few years back.  One of the best solutions for these was thought to be air movement and the darkness of the coop. 

[Susan Mouw]

Good idea on the ice chips, Don! I might give that a try today.

We have lots of wild blackberries on our property, so I've been picking the blackberries, then putting them in ice cube trays and freezing them. I put the ice cubes (with the frozen berries inside), in the trays of their waterers, then watch as they try to get it out.

All except for our grow-out pens are under roof now, so that has helped tremendously with keeping everyone cool. I have 70% blockage sun shade across the top (and some along the sides) of the grow out pens, as well as several three-sided shelters they can get in to get out of the heat.

I really want to put a mister up again - we had one, but the lines got all clogged from our well water. It came down with the intent of cleaning/replacing all the mister heads and clogged lines and putting it back up. Oh well, so much for the best of intentions, huh?  When that mister was up and running - you could feel a 20 degree drop in temperature in the air all around it. It was amazing!

[Don]

Sounds like you've got it ready for serious heat Susan.   We have a lot of trees for most of the back yard.  They are great for shade but have their own detractions.  They can be a liability with falling limbs or storm damage.  Our Muscadine vines would make great shade cover if we had lines run across the tops of the growouts, and the birds love the over ripe dropped fruit too.  They grow very full during a season, then they lose their leaves and allow all that nice winter sun in to warm and sterilize the coop.

I might add that the ice chips is the way I add "some" cooling to the feed.  I am not sure if too much ice fed directly might be a shock to their systems?  I am sure its fine the way you are letting them play with the black berries.  Though its a shame to waste those black berries, surely Barry would like some black berry cobblers.
I also soak wheat in water over night.  They pick this out first.  I can usually keep this a few days to sprout in the early winter, but in the heat it will sour before it gets fully sprouted.   

I have never used the misters.  We buy water from the city now.  I know the misters are very effective in the drier heat.  I always questioned whether on not the added humidity would be a counterbalance in our humid conditions?

[DeWayne Edgin]

Here in PA its been in the 50s at night and only high 70s to mid 80s! We have been getting lots of rain and the rivers are flooding.