Official BYC Poll: Have you ever had issues with heat stress in your flock?

[BYC Project Manager]

The summer heat can be challenging for our feathered friends, and heat stress is a real concern for many chicken keepers. Heat stress can affect their health, egg production, and overall well-being.

Have you ever faced issues with heat stress in your flock? We want to hear your experiences and learn about the measures you take to keep your chickens cool and comfortable during the hottest months.

Place your vote, join the conversation, and see how others manage this common challenge during those scorching summer days!

Further Reading:

• Keeping Your Chickens Cool In Summer
• Identifying & Treating Chicken Heat Stress
• A Simple Way To Keep Chickens Cool In Summer
• Coop Health: Designing & Maintaining A Healthy Coop

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

 

[Barnette]

I add ice and sometimes electrolytes to my chickens' water during heat waves. I also give them sandy dustbaths to help cool down, and they have access to lots of shade and and a small spring. I always have a least two waters around the coop and a few more scattered around the chicken yard.

 

[azygous]

I can only recall one time, and that was when we had a sudden change in temperature, cool one day, and the next very warm. The rest of the sixteen years of keeping chickens, as long as the temperature warmed gradually so the chickens could acclimatize, I've had no issues, even when the run got to above 90F.

A young hen had just come into the run from being outside ranging. She stumbled and teetered like a drunk at 2am bar closing, then collapsed at my feet. No doubt she would likely have died if I hadn't been there when it happened.

I whipped her up and rushed her inside the house and applied cold compresses under her wings. Then I tubed electrolytes into her. She revived almost immediately with no after effects.

 

[RubelliteRose]

We frequently have 100+ heat index days here. We allow the flock to free range so they can move to the coolest parts of the yard and have bowls of water spread out around the house. The favorite hang out is deep under the back porch on the north side of the house.
Most of the flock handles the heat without issue, but our head rooster, a EE, sounds terrible when the temperature spikes. While he is active, eating, drinking, and pooping normally, he sounds more like a goose than a chicken in the heat of the afternoon. Fortunately, his breathing goes back to normal as the temperature drops at night. This is his 3rd summer, but every year we worry that we will lose him to the heat.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Last summer was very hot in my region during July- several days in the 90s and little rain. I refreshed waterers with cool water and added ice, provided water in shady areas and added a fan to the run for air circulation. The hot and dry spell made for some excellent dust bath areas in the girls’ fav wooded area next to the coop, and a shady sandy spot under my deck.

 

[swamphiker]

Given my area's long, hot, and humid summers and mild winters, I don't have big fluffy breeds like Orpingtons or Brahmas. I've started to move towards breeds with big combs since noticing how much more the breeds with small pea combs suffer in the heat. Their coop has a ton of ventilation and both the coop and run have lots of shade. I also have a big 5-gallon bucket drinker so that I don't have to remember to fill their water too often.

 

[Lillith37]

I’ve only had one hen suffer from heat stress to the point where I needed to intervene. It was during a heatwave and I was out there checking on them every hour as well as taking other precautions. She was panting heavily and couldn’t support herself upright. She recovered after spending some time in a cool tub of water in a cool part of the house. Interestingly she is one of my hens with a bigger comb.

 

[sdm111]

Yes every year and this year is no different. S.e. Louisiana is so humid I think that's what's the worst fir mine. 92 or 5 during the day with heat index of 120 its like a punch in the face when you go outside. And with lies of low 80s and 90% humidity there's no relief. I think heat is alot harder on them than the cold

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I’ve dealt with heat stress a bit in my flock. Thankfully I live in a very dry climate (think literal desert lol) so I don’t have the humidity that some of you do. I’ve lost two hens to heatstroke and one almost died, but recovered. Both hens that passed were laying eggs in the heat of the day, one when it was 116°.

I refresh their water every few hours when it’s above 100°F, and go out and check on them very often. The thing that helps them the most is getting their run wet. Every afternoon I mist it with a hose, so it’s damp but not soaking wet. They love digging into the cool dirt and laying there. It cools them off really well.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

No. We have extreme heat here during the summer, such as currently (the heat index is reaching 117℉ in the afternoon some days). But I will never let my chickens get heat stress. Yes, they will be panting and holding their wings out, trying to keep themselves cool, but each flock has plenty of shade and multiple bowls that I ensure are full of cold water. I also feed them a lot less during the hot months because it heats their body. I have never had chickens die from the heat, and neither have I had them actually go into real heat stress.