12 Tips Get Your Flock Ready For Heat Waves Now
Many first-time backyard chicken owners are surprised to learn that extreme heat and high summer temperatures pose just as much if not more threat to your flock’s health and safety as extreme winter temperatures. Especially for heavier breeds or any chicken breeds poorly suited to extreme heat summer can present challenges to maintaining the health, happiness, and productivity of your flock. Preventative measures NOW before the most challenging summer temperatures are here can make a huge difference for your backyard chickens.
What does heat stress look like in backyard chickens? Heat stress is when your chickens are struggling to cool their body temperatures. Chickens cool themselves through their combs, waddles, and feet, the places on their body which are exposed and don’t have feather coverage. Some seasonal discomfort and adjustment is to be expected, but too much and prolonged heat stress can lead to overall poor health, illness, lowered or ceased productivity, and in extreme cases even worse. Signs of minor heat stress include a gaping beak and panting. Moderate heat stress includes these symptoms as well as holding their wings away from their body in an attempt to promote circulation and cool themselves. Extreme heat stress includes all of these symptoms and additionally gasping, distress calls, exacerbated panting, lethargy, refusal to eat or drink, fainting, and can result in the death of the chicken. Emergency interventions for extreme heat stress include things like pressing a cool wet cloth to their feet, combs, and waddles or gently misting your chicken with cool water. Take these proactive steps to keep your flock cool and comfortable in the summer heat.
Here are 12 simple, affordable, practical things you can do to keep your flock safe during high temperatures all summer long.
Hydration is key. Provide multiple water stations filled with plain, cool, clean water in appealing locations. Hydration during the summer isn’t just important for you and your family it is also a key component to maintaining a healthy flock. Provide your flock with multiple hydration stations which can be made from anything from simple livestock dishes, thrifted bowls, or water dispensers either homemade or purchased. Chickens will avoid full sun during the heat of the day so it’s important that their water stations are in accessible, appealing, and preferably shaded places where they can congregate. During the winter I have four water stations for my flock. During the summer months I double that.
Create electric-free air conditioning for your chickens with a redneck AC. Don’t let the silly name fool you, this technique really works and my flock enjoys it every summer. You’ll need clean and rinsed plastic containers like old soda bottles, old milk jugs, margarine containers, etc. Fill the plastic soda bottles or other plastic forms approximately 2/3 full with water and freeze them overnight. Don’t fill them to capacity as water expands when it freezes. Don’t freeze glass items with water inside them as water expands when it’s frozen and will shatter the glass inside your freezer. Take an unwanted cooler or plastic tote and lay it on its side in your chicken area. Fill the cooler or tote with your frozen forms, no need to remove the ice you can place them directly into the cooler or tote. As the water thaws it will release cool air and the tote or cooler on its side will direct the cool air toward your chickens. You can also place the frozen plastic containers around your chicken area. Curious flock members will eventually explore them and settle near them to keep cool.
Create ice blocks to place in your chicken’s water. You can use regular tray ice or you can freeze ice in plastic forms like old margarine containers. If you’re having trouble removing the large ice form from the container, leave it in the sun for a few minutes and the ice will come right out. Place the ice in your chicken’s water to help keep them cool.
Provide a chicken safe hydration supplement in one of your water stations. Especially during heatwaves, I caution other backyard chicken owners to use any water supplement sparingly as your chickens’ bodies are designed to consume plain clean water. If chickens don’t like the taste of water, they won’t drink it, and things can go downhill fast. If you’re using a hydration supplement, or any water supplement, I recommend only using it in one of your multiple water stations that way chickens can utilize it by choice. Sav-A-Chick and other hydration supplements specifically designed for poultry are available at farm box stores and online. Chickens can also drink regular, full-flavored, diluted Gatorade. *Very important. Diet or energy drink mixes that contain caffeine are highly toxic to chickens. Do not give your flock anything sugar-free, diet, or that contains caffeine. * I will on occasion prepare one water station with diluted full flavor Gatorade for my chickens. The dilution formula I use is 6 teaspoons of full flavor Gatorade powder mix to one gallon of water. *I’m not associated in any official way with any of the previously mentioned products. The specific full flavor is inconsequential; I would purchase whatever flavor your family would also enjoy.
Ensure your flock has adequate ventilation. Especially if your flock will be living partially or in fulltime confinement make sure your flock has access to fresh air. Protect your flock with hardware cloth, when possible, on open windows and vents. Leave your coop and run door open during the daylight hours if you can safely do so.
Create ice treats for your flock. Chicken safe kitchen scraps, veggies, fruit, meal worms, and other safe chicken treats can be frozen in ice trays or other plastic forms and offered to your flock as enrichment and a safe fun way for them to cool down. I like to put vegetable scraps in a bowl with ice cubes and meal worms. Frozen peas floating in a bowl of cool water is another quick, simple, inexpensive cool down treat. An indulgent treat like half of a cantaloupe or water melon is also a great way to help your flock stay hydrated.
Provide your flock with a fan. If it is a practical option for you, you can place a fan in a location where your flock has the option to use it. Note fans should be placed somewhere where your flock can choose to enjoy it or not, not someplace where it is inescapable. I have a dedicated discount porch fan that I use on the hottest days of the summer.
Create an additional shaded area for your flock. You can create an emergency shade station for your flock using things like an old bed sheet or tarp. Secure two corners to a fence or wall and anchor the other two corners with tent stakes or sticks. The small shaded area will give your flock additional options to escape direct sunlight. You can also utilize semi-permanent solutions like a camping pop-up shade tent or outdoor curtains.
Utilize a discount sprinkler, mister, or spray grassy areas your flock has access to with water. Using a hose, you can use a discount sprinkler to spray down and moisten a grassy area for your flock to enjoy. Walking through the moistened wet grass will help your flock stay cool.
You can create a chicken friendly wading pool. Using a disposable metal tray or something more permanent like a dishwashing tub, place a smooth stone or other object that is safe for chickens to stand on inside the tray. It’s important that the tray is shallow enough your chickens can easily step into it and that the object is safe for their feet and free from any protrusions or sharp edges. Fill the pan or tray with cold water and barely cover the stone or object. Place the shallow wading pool in a shaded area. Your chickens can cool down by standing on the stone or drinking from the tray. Dispose of or clean the tray and refresh the water when needed.
Provide mash or fermented feed. Fermented chicken feed with the additional moisture and nutrients it includes is a great way to ensure your flock is getting the necessary nutrition they need to perform at their best even in hot and challenging temperatures. If you don’t want to ferment your chicken feed you can create mash by combining whatever chicken feed you use in a livestock safe dish with cool water. Stir and serve to your flock. Dispose of any unused portion. If this creates a lot of waste for your flock, reduce the portion size.
Provide a dust bath for your chickens. Dust bathing in addition to promoting your flock’s general health can also help them regulate their body temperature. You can create a dust bath from any safe object with no sharp edges that your chickens can safely step into and out of. Unused tires with no rim, plastic tubs, or even a shallow cardboard box can be made into a dust bath. I fill my dust bath with construction sand, wood ash from non-chemically treated wood, clean fill dirt, and one cup of diatomaceous earth. If you don’t have access to these components on your property they are available for purchase by the bag. Place the dust bath where your chickens can have access to it, if possible, in a shaded area.
I hope these tips will be useful to you to help keep your flock cool, comfortable, and healthy all summer long. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out Chuck’s other social media for more backyard chicken and homesteading content.
Chuck and the Chicks 