# Chickens are panting...what to do??



## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

its crazy hot today all of a sudden and though the chikens have fresh cool water and are in shade they are all sprawled out panting...can I mist them down to cool them off or will that jsut distress them?


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

We've been in a heat wave here too....yesterday was 107Â°!!

I put a bag of cool sand out & misted it down with water.....Chickens LOVED it.... Brought my fuzzy chicks inside though...already lost one to the heat.

I also put some frozen liter soda bottles out & several of the chickens snuggled up with them....


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## madness (Dec 6, 2006)

As long as they have shade and cool fresh water we usually let our chickens be in the heat. And yes, they pant!

One year , the chickens only had hot water on a really hot day (autofiller but the entire hose line was in the bright sun due to a morning project that required it to be moved and no one realized...until too late). That's the only time we had losses due to heat (3 of them.  ).


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

I put a fan out there to help circulate the air some more but they are affraid of it right now.


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## eclipchic (Oct 24, 2010)

I'm in IN too. Our big girls are hanging out in the barn today and in the shade of the fruit trees (they free range) and the chicks have a shaded run that they are in. I'll be throwing some ice to the chicks in their waterer to help keep them cooler but I expect them all to be fine.
The turkeys free range too, they are panting and hanging out in the shade too.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

They should be fine. Just be aware that all shade isn't equal. Deep shade, where the sun never penetrates and the ground is cooler, is a lot cooler for them.


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## suelandress (May 10, 2002)

Mine are currently free ranging where ever their hearts desire, and even in the dense woods they are panting. It's just danged hot!!! A passing thunderstorm just made things steam. Must remind them of the rainforest in their distant past.


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

I put out a little kid's type tenty thing in my chicken run yesterday. They are still afraid of it and haven't tried it out. I'd love to let them go but until dh fixes the fence and I can keep them out of the neighbor's garden, that's a no-go.


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## Linda J (Oct 13, 2002)

We have a lot of shade in their run and a real stiff wind right now, but I believe it was close to 100 today and it's still hot. I wet down the area where they were laying and changed their water a couple of times. I made sure the door to the coop and the windows were uncovered. I can't bring them in - and it's going to be a long summer. We just do our best.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I dug a shallow depression in the shadiest spot in the coop. 
During hot weather, I fill that area with water. 
It soaks right in, and the damp ground is cooler than dry dirt is.

My birds prefer that to any other thing I have tried.

Also, when it is very hot, I dont let anyone go bother them, at all.
No giving treats or checking for eggs during the hot part of the day. 
They dont need to run around fighting over tomato skins and bread crusts during hot weather.


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## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

gone-a-milkin said:


> I dug a shallow depression in the shadiest spot in the coop.
> During hot weather, I fill that area with water.
> It soaks right in, and the damp ground is cooler than dry dirt is.
> 
> ...


Cool advice, Gone a Milking! I'll remember this!...Like, if it ever quits raining here and actually warms up!


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## greenSearcher (Mar 23, 2007)

We have a break in the heat today, it was only 92 when we were in town. We were at least 112 on Sat. It will be a long hot summer. Anyway the heat protocol for my chickens includes a "wading pool", hosing the ground, coop and shade cloth in the morning, ice in the water buckets mid afternoon (100+ days will include placing frozen gallon jugs on the damp soil) and hosing the shade cloth and ground and cold snacks after 6pm when they are finally starting to move around. A mister doesn't work well, the water gets too hot running through the long hose and is more like steam. Keeping them quiet does alot too.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Mine free range and are staying in the deep shade of the woods right now under a clump of big oaks. They'll all come up for water at once, then go right back.


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

Are they in a pen/coop/run or free range? 

In my part of Texas & well pretty much all of the state, its been HOT, real hot lately...so keeping them cool is a challenge for sure. I have at least 30+ 8 wk olds that are going out into a run/new coop this week. It will have a fan as well as deep shade & wetted down.

My adults are free range but in the coop at night. I have a fan going all the time (day or night) in the coop with all the windows open & door open during the day. Mine have shallow water pans they can drink out of or get in if needed. I see some just standing in the water, cooling their legs. They also have deep cover where the wind can blow under from any side. I also wet it down under the trampoline for them. I have yet to loose one due to heat, the girls know NOT to bother them & even the dog shares good shade with them.

I also will keep any snacks or scraps I intend to give them in the fridge until I'm ready to give to them. When they eat it (placed in the shade) it will help cool them internally. I'm making room in the freezer now to freeze juice jugs to put out or in their water on hot days.

Best of luck & hope all the good suggestions help here. You'd be amazed at what even a fan will help do.


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## mommathea (May 27, 2009)

When it is really hot here, I'll fill bottles/jugs with water and freeze. Then I'll throw them in the shade where the chickens like to lounge. They'll lay right up next to them and sometimes when it is really hot I've seen them perch up on the frozen bottles.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

Luckily it's cooler today and less humid. I've had the fan going on non stop in the hutch and they are in deep shade and get a constant breeze as I took the wind blockers off the sides so lots of air flow.


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