Help! Chickens too hot and mouths open!

[Shaynaf]

Help!! Chickens are hot!! I have 6 Orpington chickens 3 micro chickens. It’s hitting the 90s here today and this week. The chickens are panting and I’m super worried they will die. I keep putting out cool water for them to drink. I have frozen bottles wrapped in a towel in their coop so they can lay by them to cool off . But they won’t lay by them. I have a fan going which it seems they like. Then I put out a pan of cool water so they can put their feet in to cool down. But they aren’t using it at all! Their runner has a roof with shade. But they are still hot and panting with their mouths open. I don’t know what else I can do! Should I wet the ground with a hose? Would that help ? or make it worse!? Does anyone else have ideas how to keep them cool? Some people say to use a mister but if that gets them wet I thought that is bad too….. I don’t know! Help! Leave suggestions PLEASEEEE.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

First of all, don’t panic. Chickens pant to cool off, just like dogs. Just because they’re panting doesn’t mean they’re dying. 90’s isn’t terribly hot, and they’ll probably do fine with a little help. First of all, whereabouts do you live? Just the general area is fine. The more humid it is, the harder chickens cope with heat. I wet the ground in my chicken run, in the shade, because they refuse to stand in rubber bowls I put out there for them. The wet ground really helps, so I would do that if you can. It doesn’t have to make puddles, just wet and a bit muddy is okay. They’ll stand in the mud and maybe even lay in it, and you can hear them sighing with relief. A mister works great, and it’s perfectly fine if they get a little wet. They’re not going to get chilled in 90 degrees unless they are completely soaked, and a mister won’t do that. Best of luck and hope your girls survive the heat!

 

[skeeeter]

Hi, down in the Deep South, we grow all varieties of chicken. They all do well as long as they have water and shade. tree shade is the best because trees don't radiate down heat. But you do the best with what you have. Giving a moist place to lie on is also good.. not too wet as that raises humidity, which we, down here, always have too much of. Hope this helps some.

 

[The Coop Crew]

Just here to say I was also panicking the other day and posted here and everyone reassured me and my chicks have been fine! It’s been in the 90s here as well (which is very unusual) but I just made sure they have cold water and shade. I’ve also put some hydro-hen in their water for a few days just to give them an extra boost. They are all doing great. They are still panting some of the time but they seem to be perfectly fine

 

[SamLockwood]

Chickens don't sweat so panting and holding their wings out slightly from their bodies are the only way they can cool off. They'll also tend keep to the shade and may be less active in general. All of that is normal.

As far as the other things you're trying, chickens HATE getting wet and they don't like change. They're going to be suspicious of any new stuff you introduce to them.

Plus, the fact that their normal body temperature averages 106F means they're probably not going to want to go anywhere near anything that's near-freezing.

The main things they need are shade, ventilation, and LOTS of water. On hot days they'll easily triple their water consumption.

 

[Loving my girls]

I know how weird it is seeing them pant - just don’t seem right to pant without a long floppy tongue hanging out do it, but it’s what they do.
We all have our weird traits but no need to stress they just need to chill.
Get them some cold veggies and they will love you forever

 

[CCsGarden]

I raise chickens in 115F weather. I wet the ground and make a little puddles of water for them to jump in and cool down. My brother also made some very simple swamp coolers for them and the work great!
Give them cold treats, watermelon, lettuce, grapes ect..
Your chickens should be fine.
Ice water is another thing you can give them.
My hens love the water! I let the hose run really slow in the coop so they can dig in the mud.

 

[citymeetscountry]

Yep we’re in real feel 105+ girls are panting hard. Mine find shade by our outdoor HVACs. We also freeze milk jugs of water and set them out to sit near. This is our 3rd full summer with chickens so I know they can handle it. It’s our first summer with silkies and one of our males seems to be having a harder time with the heat. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a heat related loss this summer (just bc some of our girls are getting older). Provide shade, cool water, and just keep an eye on them. Hard not to worry.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Here in CT we've had some super hot days. Fortunately I've been able to be home and upon reflection, i'm mainly walking around the yard with a hose in my hand. Afternoon frozen watermelon & 1 grape each remains a flock favorite. I live on the side of a mountain and the girls can be found up there chillin' out. I always get nervous of the 4 legged predators, but after 3 years of free ranging (supervised of course), they seem to know the lay of the land. No losses yet! I always know if things got really bad for any hen, we'll go right to the basement or inside the house. Good luck everyone!

 

[CharlesnBlue]

Just replied to a thread on this
give them cold watermelon and frozen fruit
two or three times a day