How's your chooks coping with the heat?

[MaureenHall]

My lot are "coping"!! Spent most of the past couple of days under the hedge or under the honeysuckle in their runs. They've got extra buckets of water and I did try spraying a fine mist of water over the runs but they just legged it .. Egg production is down - not surprising because they're not eating as much as usual. I want to bring the babies in to put them to bed, but it's still 35C in my conservatory, far too hot for 3 week-olds. Think they'll all be having a late night tonight.

Hopefully, either tomorrow or Saturday I'll have the babies run completed. Given the sort of night-time temperatures we're having, is it still far too early to move them outside all the time now? I don't want to rush things, I want them to have the best care possible, and if that means another couple of weeks indoors, then that's fine by me.

This has turned into two threads hasn't it? ooops

[Snadger]

Mine appear to be coping alright, even the water uptake doesn't seem to have increased?
I was a bit worried my pet Dorking might overheat as I have her in a glorified broody coop at the mo.

Decided I'm going to build her a bigger penthouse at the weekend............just formulating the plans in my head just now.............I think I'm going triangular, but edgeways on to fit in a corner!

[di]

Our Isas seem to be doing OK,but Marigold,who's a black & very large hen is struggling a bit...wandering around with her mouth open & huffin' & puffin'As well as their water bowl,they also have an upturned water butt lid,filled with water...first thing she does when she gets up is to have a little paddle & then periodically throughout the day.
The chicks don't seem to be enjoying it too much either!The Norfolk Greys are sensible enough to go into the coop when they get too hot,but the BO's & Pip just wander around getting more hot & bothered!
Don't take my word for it but someone told me that as long as there's a few to bundle together & plenty of straw for warmth(& obviously it's not the middle of winter),she keeps hers outside from between 3 & 4 weeks old.Must admit ours were a little older,but partly cos Andi was a little on the drag getting an outside coop/hutch sorted.

[frias]

It's the first time my lot have been happy to stay in the covered pen. If they do come out then they all get under a small childs gazebo on the lawn. The newest ex-batts have decided to balance on the side the bucket to drink and I'm frightened they'll fall in. A paddle sounds great though, I'll give my lot some shallow water tomorrow to see if they want to. I am a bit worried that the broody might get too hot in her new coop. It's not very big but it will be under cover inside the run.

[Hashette]

My poor little ex-batt brood look exhausted. They have plenty of shade available, so spend most of the day snuggled under the shrubbery, but they are obviously not getting enough sleep, and egg production's down from 3 a day to 1 if I'm lucky, with lots of softies being produced.

I know how they feel......

[RichmondHens]

It's maybe not as hot here as in other parts of the uk, but mine are all fine, but they have access to trees all the time so just go underneath. I'm leaving loads of water down too as of course the wildlife are helping themselves too.

[Nicos]

About half of mine are wandering about with their beaks open. I've put out 2 extra dishes of water and been throwing their treats into the shade hoping they'll realise it's a bit cooler there.
Interestingly I've noticed some of the combs are dark tipped as if they're getting frost-bite!!()

Just got the first 6 eggs in 7 days from my first home grown baby!!!! ( so the heat's not putting her off!!!!)

[pdblake]

Our browns are all fine. Doesn't seem to be bothering them at all. They do have a tarpaulin on the top of the run though, just in case, so they're not getting direct sun and I've put their water in the shade.

[pinkprincess]

we moved our ex batts into the shadiest part of the garden and they seem fine however egg production is down big time. In a three day period we would normally get 14-15 eggs from 5 chooks however in the past three days we have just 6 eggs

[Flummery]

They do pant a bit and open their beaks and spread their shoulders out a bit to life the wings away from their sides, but in spite of putting in extra water they don't seem to be drinking more. I put ice cubes in yesterday!

They spend quite a bit of time in the shade though, and when they are on the grass (!) area I soak it for them so it's cool to sit on under the tree. I'd have thought that as jungle fowl descendents they should have coping strategies (unless you don't have any shade in your run) as jungles are usually hot.

Still 4 eggs a day from 4 birds though, bless 'em.

[bluemoon]

Mine are all spending as much time as possible in the shade - and I did the ice-cube thing yesterday too, Flum - but they seem to be active enough and the growers are still acting like the teenagers that they are. I have noticed a slight increase in water consumption, but that could be partly evaporation I suppose as only Coco is noticeably drinking more and in the past month he has turned into one HUGE (and heavily feathered) cockerel, which might account for that.

[HayleyB]

Our lot have their dust bath in the corner, next to the wall and the side of a barn with an apple tree that hangs over the wall, it's very shaded there so most hang out dusting themselves the rest are often in the stables having a natter doing their knitting...

Silver accidentally jumped from a ramp (which leads up to the rim of a water butt) into the water, boy did she get out quick and very indignant.

[Bephlam]

My lot were ill with the heat yesterday...all panting away and being generally miserable. I filled a big basin of water and plonked them in it. They loved it...stood in it for about 20 mins at a time! Funny!!!

The broody girls were bigtime struggling, but wouldn't move...of course!

Egg production is down here too...2 eggs today...

Still, the heat left us today...for rain...(yippeee) so hopefully it won't return anytime soon!!!

[Glutton4...]

My Laydees' egg production is down slightly, and the percentage of soft/eaten ones has increased. This may be down to them being in a temporary coop (shed) whilst I spring clean/gloss paint their proper one.

They are drinking twice as much water in the heat - I filled one hopper 4 days ago, one 2 days ago and had to do the first one again today! Usually I refill them about once every 2 weeks.

A couple of mine have been walking about with their beaks open and wings out to dissipate the heat!

[bluemoon]

Well we had heavy rain here today and they all stood in it and got drenched, they seemed to be enjoying cooling off. The plot where we keep the chickens is a new one and we're still clearing much of the veg growing area. Yesterday I found, in among the other rubbish, a large tray. It looks like a cat-litter tray, but it would be for a very big moggy! If we get another hot spell I'll fill it with water for them, I didn't realize they'd enjoy water to play in.