by Liz Hessen of For the Love of Chicken Poop
Looking back on our own chicken keeping adventures this topic is one that just can’t be stressed too much. If you are a newbie in the chick keeping world you should learn the signs of heat stress/exhaustion, how to prevent and treat it.
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| Watermelon is a great hydrator and they love it. |
It might seem like a far off notion to worry about heat stress while there is still snow on the ground in some areas but if you’re getting chicks for the first time try thinking beyond the cold weather and on to a warm sunny day and what to do and when. Preventing heat stress all together would be ideal.
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| Ice cubes, parsley and marigold petals floating in water. |
Please note: We can’t stress the importance of this enough!!! Keeping chicks and grown chickens hydrated, cool and comfortable is NOT PAMPERING or SPOILING them! For chicks it’s helping them get a good, healthy start in life. For grown, egg producing hens it’s helping them lay good healthy eggs without jeopardizing their own health. Know how to prevent heat exhaustion/stress! Know how to treat a chicken suffering from heat exhaustion!
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| Hmm, whats in this? |
Once the chicks get old enough to go outdoors for playtime (which will happen quickly) you need to watch them closely for signs of heat stress. We took ours on their first outdoor adventure at about two weeks. It was the middle of July and they started showing signs of heat stress within about 5 minutes. Even though I had been told about heat stress I was shocked at how fast they showed signs of it. Of course we took them back inside where it was cool and they had plenty of water available.
ALL chicks and grown chickens will normally pant, like dogs, to keep cool. Their panting is one of the first signs that they need water and shade. It doesn’t take long for ours to start panting when they days are only slightly warm. When they’re out free ranging or just playing they go at it with all they’ve got…like a little kid who doesn’t know when to stop.
Signs of heat-stress in CHICKS are panting and spreading their little wings also a little droopy acting. Showing any of these signs means they need to get back to where it’s cool and there is water!
In grown,egg producing CHICKENS signs of heat stress/exhaustion are panting, holding the wings out, a very pale comb and wattles, eyes closed, even lying down.
If you do have a chicken that seems to be suffering from heat exhaustion or dehydration, get her somewhere cool and soak her in a tub of cool water to bring her body temperature down. Give her cool water to drink and some plain Pedialyte or even Gatorade in a pinch for added nutrients to replacing electrolytes.
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| Beautiful eggs. |
An egg is mostly water and a chicken will give her all to lay that egg! In the heat, egg producing chickens will need their intake of fluids ramped up considerably to cover what is needed for egg production and to keep her hydrated and comfortable. You might see more soft-shelled eggs in times of high heat. Apple cider vinegar added to the water can help with calcium absorption. When it’s very hot they may not be interested in their feed…just like humans they want to find a shady place and kick back and chill! Make sure their laying feed is high quality! Adding a little Apple cider vinegar to their water just a few times a week can help to level their pH so their bodies can absorb more calcium for better eggs.
WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHICKS AND CHICKENS STAY COOL:
- Shade and fresh, clean water accessible to all your hens is first and foremost in importance. Nipple style watering systems are not recommended as their only water source. It’s possible for chickens higher in the pecking order to block the others from getting water. It’s important to have many water sources available, like watering tubes or open pans of water, especially in the summer! And if you don’t have trees and bushes already there to provide shade you can rig up some tarps or sheets to block the sun…but be sure they don’t block any breeze or airflow.
- Frozen treats are a great start towards keeping them hydrated. They will love pecking at watermelons, which are mostly water anyway, ice cubes filled with treats. Fresh grass that has been cut into shorter lengths can be floated in a bowl of water. I went to Dollar Tree Store and got plastic ice trays to use just for them. Ours really love treats frozen like this and it’s good to keep those fluids going in what ever form they will take. You can make these treats ahead of time and keep them in the freezer till needed.
- We have a hose with nozzle that can be set on mist. We move it around to different areas of the run and yard. When we set it near the run any breeze we get catches the mist and cools without over wetting things. Our humidity is already extremely high here and when we wet the ground or anything else too much and the wrong way it only causes MORE problems. For our situation, a hose nozzle set on mist is easier to control than a large misting system.
- A box fan or isolating fan set outside the coop helps a lot. Letting the fan blow across frozen water in gallon jugs will help cool the air. Try laying frozen jugs of water on the floor of the coop so the chickens could perch on or next to them.
- Keep a number of pans, large bowls, and buckets filled with clean cool clean water sitting in shaded areas for them. Some chickens will only drink the water but some breeds will climb in and stand to cool their feet off a bit. Julie, our brown leghorn loves standing in the big black rubber bowl we use…even if its filled with food.
- Home made electrolytes or plain Pedialyte or Gatorade added to their water in extreme heat can also help them cope better – one cup per gallon of water every few days.
- Never give scratch grains during the hot months – the act of digesting scratch actually warms up a chicken’s body.
- Different breeds of chickens will handle heat (and cold) differently. Our buff polish crested is always the first one to show heat stress – some of the others tolerate the heat a bit better.
Along with your first aid supplies for injuries or illnesses should also contain:
Pedialyte or Gatorade
Homemade electrolytes (*see recipe below)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Baking Soda
*Recipe for homemade electrolytes:
1 Cup Water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Use full strength on severely ill chickens. Replacing the electrolytes lost during times of high stress and unbearable heat could mean the difference between life and death to your chickens. It can also be mixed into their drinking water every few days as needed. One cup homemade electrolytes per gallon of water.
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| Frozen tomatoes. |
Treat ideas for helping your chicks or chickens to stay hydrated:
– Watermelon (or other melons) cut in small chunks or just cut it in half – they love it.
– Freeze sliced or chopped tomatoes and then serve them on a flat plate or platter (if
your grow you own you probably have plenty to spare)!
– Grapes – cut up in small pieces if they’re for chicks.
– Cucumbers, sliced small.
– Blueberries, sliced if for chicks.
– Strawberries, sliced if for chicks.
– Ice cubes with herbs like parsley, basil, marigold petals, bits of fruit frozen in them.
– Lettuce chopped (for chicks), torn apart or left or whole floating in water.
– Fresh grass and other greens chopped up and floating in cold water.
– Some of their favorite treats can be frozen in ice cubes – get CREATIVE!
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| Fresh cut grass floating in water. |
Ours love fresh grass cut up and floating in cold water. I’m not sure what makes this different from eating grass while they are free ranging (perhaps because it’s prepared and served by their personal chef), who knows!
They may not completely eat what you freeze in the ice cubes but they will want to peck down find out what is in the middle – resulting in them getting more fluids as they do…sneaky!
Liz –
32 Comments
These are all great tips! I have a tip for you: DON’T OVER DO THE WATERMELON! This was learned the hard way, for us, the chickens have a difficult time eliminating waste, and some of the eggs we would crack, watery yolk would spray everywhere and have a bad smell!
Also, I love these tips, but all the italicized text makes me dizzy :l
I freeze gallon jugs and water bottles (what ever I have empty) then I put them in a small garbage can with 2 inch holes cut around the bottom half, lay my box fan on top and its an air conditioner! At night I just put the jugs back in the freezer for the next day.
Any thoughts on apples?
For the most part, our chickens love them! The Barred Rock teenagers near insanity when I take them their treats every hot afternoon. It is quite amusing.
Thanks for share this post I also share with you something hope you like my post. Air-conditioning’s the coolest — but if you hate writing that big check to the electric company, think fans. They use far less energy than AC but still lower room temps by 12 degrees. The challenge: getting the right one for your needs. Floor fans are best for windowless rooms because they quickly stir up stagnant air. Pedestal models are less powerful but oscillate to cover wide areas. Window fans (meant for bathrooms and bedrooms) can reverse flow to bring night air inside.Thanks
window fan
Ok, you want to hear HEAT, try 112 on July 4th, lost five of my 2year girls who were doing just great. Mister didn’t get turned on that day and I came home to a real disaster. Heart broken I diligently turn on the mister, wet down their yard, have big saucers and waterers everywhere, sort of too late but I will never make that mistake again, still chokes me up to think of my babies that aren’t here to run up to me. I did get nine new beauties a little older than what I started the other girls (one day old)I couldn’t stand it not to have chickens, I have learned a lot and even more with what I just read here tonight. Thank you so much for all you experienced info.
I take fruits and veggies and put them in my food processor. Cucumbers, carrots, watermelon, apples, blueberries, strawberries,grapes, spinach,peas whatever is in season and I have an abundance of. Add a little water and 1/4 tsp of ACV if you want, it keeps the mix from turning brown. Pulse until it is a choppy, finely diced “soup”. Kind of like Gazpacho…yes, I have added tomatoes and fresh herbs also.I pour this into cool whip sized containers and freeze it. When the weather is hot, as usual here in NW Arkansas, I unmold it into shallow dog bowls I use just for them. It is put out under a cedar tree near the coop. When they see me coming they all run for the tree and relax and cool off while getting some nice cold fresh treats. They are all healthy and doing well. Even the turkeys love this treat. I also freeze 5 gallon buckets in my large upright freezer and put that into a large rubber bowl. As the bucket “sweats” the chickens are drawn to the beads of water running down the side. They get a lot of cool water this way. I always love the tips and clue I get here. Thanks to all.
I have 2 plastic waterers and put water in the top part and set in the freezer overnight. It gives them cool water for hours!
The biggest cause of heat stress is lack of proper ventalation and access to fresh water. Some of the little coups that folks buy for their back yards are nothing more than death traps because they lack air movement. Fans can help, but there are a few things you can do to increase air movement. Consider adding a vent through the roof.. cover it with hardware cloth to keep out critters.. This will allow the heat that builds up in the roosting areas to escape and will also draw in cooler air that settles near the ground. Fresh water is even more important, water troughs should be in the shade, made of something white to keep from drawing heat A length of PVC pipe with an elbow on both ends will do fine. Cut the pipe in half or cut an access area for the chickens and they will do fine… I see photos of watermelon being fed to chickens all the time, but folks you will decrease your egg production in feeding chickens too much fruit.. an occasional rind is fine, but watch out and the sugars that are in the juice will stick to the feathers and can attract ants. IN some parts of the country fire ants can kill a chicken faster than a redneck with a butcher knife…Common sense tells us that there is no one solution or one size fits all solution that will work for everyone, but having raised hundreds of chickens and currently I have over 50 big stock hens and a dozen or so bantams I know that in most cases heat stress could have benn prevented by increasing the air circulation in the coup, providing fresh water every morning and again at the afternoon feeding… and making sure your coup or pen has some shade for the heat of the day from about 11:00 a.m. until about 4:00 p.m. you will need about 1.5 sq feet of shade for each bird…
Thanks for the added info! We built our coop to include good ventilation for heat and cold. Lower windows, upper windows in the raised coop, slanted roof etc. We have severe humidity and that makes it even worse – we have to balance everything out!
This is from the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association – Go down to where it says Heart Attack and read what it says about apple cider vinegar – this web site has a lot of great information as well – good luck with your babies during the heat – our heat is already here as well, I am in the hill country of Texas (Mason, TX) and we hit 98 degrees yesterday.
http://www.apppa.org/content/12623
Thanks! I went to the link and it does give common sense info on ACV. Anyone interested in the uses of ACV for their chickens can check out the above link.
Loved the frozen tomato treats. We have lots to spare in the Garden State of NJ. Do you think frozen corn would be ok to use? I found everyone’s comments very helpful. Thanks for the great information. NJ loves Grit. Little Leaf Of Greenbranch
Frozen corn on the cob or cut off? I’ve not tried it frozen with ours. They love corn in any form. Frozen corn on the cob might cause an all out chicken war in our run but other than that I don’t see any reason not to try.
I read a few other sites that say using ACV in the water during times of heat increases the risk of acidosis. Is this true?
I am NOT A VET OR PROFESSIONAL when it comes to keeping chickens. I have heard from both sides the pros and cons of ACV. I can only relay my experiences and what I’ve been told. Last fall (October) we were still having extremely hot weather and our chickens were (about four months old) and not taking the long drawn out heat spell well at all. I researched some ideas that people suggested – one being add ACV to their water help adjust the PH balance in their stressed systems. I also was very concerned about giving it to them. But I did give them one fourth cup of ACV to 3 gal. of water once a week for about three weeks. I knew this very small amount once a week would probably be more helpful than hurtful because of the fact that they were still growing like crazy. I honestly cannot say that it helped them but I can say it didn’t hurt them. I have not give them any since. It can but their systems out of balance or back in balance. I think it all depends on the age and overall health of the chickens. I will NOT use ACV on a regular basis as a preventative for heat stress. But I will have it on hand should one of them appear to be in trouble. I go with my gut instinct when it comes to my chickens health. If someone ever comes up with documented evidence on ACV uses it would be wonderful!
I learned this many years ago when my children were in the 4 H rabbit club. Take an empty gallon milk jug, fill 3/4 full with water and freeze it. Put it in a shady spot and let the chickens gather aroung it. I tried this last summer when the temperatures soared to 100 degrees here in central PA. and it worked great!! I used 3 of the gallon jusg at a time for my 10 chhickens and they did very well during the heat wave.
That is a great idea. We are already saving drink jugs for our triple digit weather!
My chickens seem not to like people food very much…strawberries is all they’ll eat. I use vitamins w/ electrolytes in the water which I buy @ Tractor Supply. Also use organic apple cider vinegar. Had 91 yesterday and 74 today….Montana weather is crazy anymore!!
Ours didn’t like people food for a long time, either! They finally figured out they were missing something. There is not much of our food they won’t eat now. We just make sure what they get is healthy! I walked out back with a Pop-sickle the other day and once they saw me I had to RUN back in, lol!
I really need a Silver Duckwing Bantam rooster for a very lonely hen. NE Missouri
You mentioned not feeding scatch in the hot months. What do you recommend feeding? The fans worked well for me last year. I lost no chicks to heat. My neighbor lost 3 before he listened to me and put a fan on them. I also put a block of ice in their waterer to keep it cool.
scratch should never be the main source of food, its more of a treat. Layer food for hens is a balanced source of nutrition. Chicks have a different food, its higher in protein while they are growing.
Our chickens have always gotten some type of ‘roost-time’ treat. They look forward to it and it give us a chance to make sure they’re settled in safe and happy. The kind of treats depend on the weather… In the warmer weather they get chopped up lettuce or a few grapes, small slices of cucumbers. A small amount of something light for their evening ritual! In the winter though they definitely get mash or cracked corn.
Sorry! I meant scratch and cracked corn. Mash is a totally different type of feed.
Thank You so much for putting this info on the site ! I am having problems now. In fact I posted my problem last night and ya’ll responded to me within 15 minutes. I followed your instructions and so far the chick is still alive and moving around some. I do believe I was keeping them to warm! Bless all of you that help us beginners.
Hoping for the best for your chick! Raising chickens seems to be a never-ending education.
Hatcheries often discuss “cold hardy” but almost never comment on how well a breed does in heat. Here in TX heat tolerance is much more critical than cold tolerance, even tho we do get some cold winter weather, too. Our heat is more severe & lasts longer. I freeze 2 liter soda bottles & use them with drip waterers, the chickens get very cold water as it thaws. Also, a fan in the runway area for air circulation is a must. I’ve been known to “float” a distressed hen in the horses’ water before setting her down in front of the fan.
Considering they have to wear a down-filled-parka year round ‘heat hardy’ should be at the top of the list of considerations… One thing I want to get for ours this year is a kiddie pool. Maybe they’ll think they’re ducks for a while and swim in it to cool off. Or I can dunk them in it if need be!
I HAD A VERY BAD INCIDENT WITH ONE OF lIGHT BRAHAMS YEATERDAY WAS 103 WHERE I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA EVEN WITH THE MISTERS IN THE PEN AND I HAD ALSO GIVEN THEM SOME WATERMELON WHEN I WENT TO CHECK ON THEM AROUND 4PM SHE WAS DOWN NEXT TO THE WATERER I PUT HER IN A BATH OF COOL WATER AND GEVE HER SOME GRAPES AND SOME VITAMIN WATER AND SHE WAS A LITTLE BETTER PUT HER BACK IN THE COOP WITH THE FAN IT TOOK HER ABOUT AND HOUR TO RECOVER TODAY WE ARE PUTTING THE FANS AROUND THEN PEN.TODAY LOTS OF COLD WATER WE ALSO HAVE A NEW BABY SERAMA CHICK AND HER MOM WAS A LILLTE HEAT STRESEED ALSO SO THE MISTING SYSTEM HELPED ALOT I WILL BE WATCHING THEM CLOSELY TODAY
Sounds like you did a good job with them!
I am new to raising chickens and my chicks are four to five weeks old. This is a very helpful article as we have already had very high temperatures. I love all the suggestions for treats. I can’t imagine why anyone would worry about pampering their animals, though (just ask my three cats). I had read about the electrolytes in general and bought a packet with vitamins at the feed store. Is there any reason I should have made them at home or should stop giving them the ones I bought? I am raising them organically.
The electrolytes you purchased are fine, go ahead and use it up. Making your own is easy and less expensive than store-bought, and when you see heat stress you can provide it immediately without having to run to the store. Either way is ok. I use the homemade with good results, and it is HOT where I live (already over 100 degrees). Good luck!