Another option is to string one of these cool shade canopies between posts, fences, or trees. If your chicken run area is mostly sunny, create additional shade by draping black shade cloth over the run. Our girls love to hang out under the trees in our yard. Ensure that your chickens have a shady space to retreat on hot days. This is one of the most simple but crucial measures.
Here on the mild Central Coast of California, a heat wave of 90+ degree days is quite unusual, uncomfortable and risky for our flock.ġ0 Ways to Keep Chickens Cool in Hot Weather We have many Midwest and Southern friends who say their chickens do just fine with temperatures in the 90s. Chickens that live in places with routinely hot conditions may become accustomed to the heat, and tolerate it better than those who are used to more temperate conditions. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, monitor your chickens behavior, and be prepared to respond accordingly. Unusual heat waves pose the most risk for heat stress in chickens. Or, you can make some modifications as needed. If your area is known for high heat, hopefully you set up your coop and run with cooling measures already in mind.
Many of these signs and symptoms sound pretty scary – but I don’t want you to worry! With the measures described below, it is fairly easy to keep your chickens cool during hot summer weather with minimal intervention. Don’t worry, she got some frozen strawberries right after this! Her wings are also held away from her sides in an effort to cool down. You can see she is panting, breathing with her beak open. Egg production may also decrease with prolonged heat exposure.Standing with wings held out away from their body.Overheating chickens will usually pant: breathing heavily through an open beak, often moving their tongues up and down.Signs of heat stress and heat stroke in chickens Learn more characteristics of the Top 18 Backyard Chicken breeds here, including comb and body type, egg production, demeanor, and more. Meaning, any surface area that isn’t covered in their built-in down jackets! Therefore, chicken breeds with large combs and wattles are able to cool themselves more readily than those with small peacombs. Instead, chickens dissipate excess heat from their combs, wattles, beaks, and feet. On the other hand, smaller or lighter chicken breeds generally do better in heat.Ĭhickens can’t sweat to cool themselves. Heavier chicken breeds may start to become overheated around 85☏. The degree of heat stress depends on a number of factors, including the chicken’s living quarters, diet, and breed. Prolonged hot temperatures combined with high humidity is an especially uncomfortable combination, for chickens and humans alike.
In general, temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit increase the risk of heat stress and heat-related illness in chickens, including death. How hot of temperatures is “too hot” for chickens? Thankfully, there are many simple ways that you can help keep your flock of chickens cool and safe during hot summer weather. Did you know that extreme heat is more dangerous for chickens than freezing cold conditions? It sure is. They need your help! In fact, your efforts could be life-saving. Chickens are rockstars at a lot of things: laying eggs, throwing sass, making us laugh, digging holes… But one thing chickens aren’t great at is keeping themselves cool and collected in extreme heat.
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