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Chicken Heat Stroke Treatment and 7 Shade Ideas for Your Flock

Chicken Heat Stroke and 7 Shade Ideas for Your Flock Blog Cover

The temperature here has reached a blazing ninety one Fahrenheit in the Northeast, with oppressive humidity to match. It’s almost impossible to go outside without wilting.

Chickens cannot sweat like us, so hot weather can be seriously problematic for them.

Whilst they can acclimate to hot climates pretty well, they do not do well in sudden heatwaves- these are the dangerous for your birds.

We have previously mentioned ways to keep your hens cool during the summer.

Today we are going to look at chicken heat stroke and how you can keep your hens safe during these sudden heatwaves.

Chicken Heat Stroke Symptoms and Treatment

When the heat gets up above seventy-five Fahrenheit, your birds begin to suffer.

Large breed birds and older hens will suffer the worst.

Chicken Heat

They will hold their wings away from their body and start to pant with open beaks to lose heat.

When the heat hits ninety to ninety-five Fahrenheit the birds are in danger of getting heat stroke.

If the temperature reaches one hundred plus, heat stroke is very possible.

Since their combs, wattles and feet are the only body areas that can reduce their temperature, if the bird looks extremely distressed, standing her in a dish of cool water will help.

You can stand the bird in cool water up to its’ neck for a couple of minutes at a time.
Chicken Drinker

Make sure they have access to plenty of cool water- each hen may drink up to three cups of water on a hot day.

All the extra water can give them diarrhea, so be on the lookout for lethargy and dehydration.

It’s recommended to add electrolytes to their water as it will help to replace valuable nutrients. If you don’t have any chicken electrolytes on hand, Pedialyte will do.

Electrolyte solutions are relatively inexpensive so it’s a good idea to keep some in your chicken first aid kit. Personally, I put out four one gallon drinkers for around forty birds. At least one of those will contain electrolytes.

A brief note here on apple cider vinegar: Do not add apple cider vinegar to their water in times of high heat, it can dehydrate the chicken.

The water needs to be checked two or three times daily to ensure they aren’t running out.

A quick finger test will tell you if the water is too warm. If it is, change it out for cool water.

Putting a frozen water bottle in also helps to keep it cooler for longer.

Here’s another tip for the drinkers if you have the plastic type. Take the drinkers in at night, fill one quarter full with water and put in the freezer overnight. In the morning top it off with fresh cold water.

It will remain cold for a longer period of time.

Note: Nipple type waterers can cause some problems when it is very hot, so make sure you also have standard drinkers available as well!

To keep their temperature down you can also provide frozen treats:

  • Watermelon
  • Fruit
  • Tomatoes
  • Blueberries

They will enjoy pecking at the cold fruit cubes and get cool too!

Fresh watermelon is also a cool and refreshing treat for those hot, humid summer days. Do not give them scratch or corn because it is slow to breakdown in digestion and will raise the body temperature of the hens.

They will dust bathe more frequently because it cools them down a little.

At this time of year, the little ‘pot-holes’ they make become moon craters, so watch your ankles!

Chicken Dust Baths
Egg production will suffer too. In times of extreme heat the ladies won’t lay as well.

They don’t eat as much during hot weather, so as a consequence you will see a slight drop in laying.

At temperatures over one hundred Fahrenheit, they will eat little and may stop laying completely, or the eggs may be mis-shapen or soft shelled.

If you don’t keep an eye on them, they can quickly reach the zone of heat prostration and will need to be cooled down. If the hen becomes unresponsive or has seizures you have to act to reduce the birds’ temperature quickly or she will likely die.

Check on them three or four times a day to ensure that all is well. Keep your interactions with them brief; try not to get moving around or expending energy.

It is essential to provide cool water for them and some shade. It is not an exaggeration to say that chickens can die from overheating, especially in areas of high humidity.

My girls have the luxury of a cool barn to retreat into, but what if you don’t have a cool place for them?

Below we have gathered some ideas for you to help keep your hens shaded and cool in the hot days of summer.

1. Shrubs and Trees

Is there an area near your coop, or the coop itself that could benefit from a bit of instant landscaping?

Shrubs grow pretty quickly and while they may not be so helpful this year, next year you will have a ready made shade area for your ladies.
Chickens Using Trees as Shade
One enterprising idea I came across was building an arbor area out of cattle panels bent into an arch and planting vines that will eventually cover the panel and give shade.

Be sure to plant vines that aren’t toxic to your hens.

Planting climbing vines against the run area works well. Last year my girls had a very shady area on the north end of the run where I had planted Black Eyed Susan vines.

It added a splash of color to the run, some well utilized shade and the girls even enjoyed eating the flowers!

If you have a small, mobile tractor type coop, can you move it into a shady area?

Painting small tractors and your coop a light color or white will help to deflect some of the heat from the inside too.

2. Shade Cloth

Most of the home improvement stores sell these, they are also known as sail cloths.

They are made from a knitted polyethylene fabric, which is slightly elastic in nature.

There are several different sizes and colors. A good size cloth six feet by twenty feet will cost just under forty dollars.

You can fix the cloth onto your coop to provide a large shaded section.
They are sturdy and can be re-used for a few years if they are well cared for.

If you don’t have a run, you can rig up some sort of awning area by using the edge of the coop, fence line or even stringing a line between two points- much like an open ended tent.

The supports will need to be strong enough to resist moderate wind.

3. Tarps

These are the good old homesteaders’ standby- tarps.

So many uses, including providing shade for your flock. It can be used in much the same way as shade cloth, but you really don’t have to remove them at the end of the year since they will keep some of the snow out of the run area.

If your run is large enough, you could put the tarp over the coop end and leave the far end open so that the birds’ can sit in the sun if they want to.

Please remember to put the water in the shaded end too. Nobody likes to drink hot water!

Another use was to put a reflective tarp on the roof of the coop. It will deflect the heat from the sun and reduce the temperature inside the coop.

4. Tree Branches

If you are tree trimming, you can use the long branches as shade covers.

Try resting the branches against the side of the coop to form a lean-to or tent, using the limbs from pine trees work especially well since they fan out to provide a denser coverage.

If you only have bare tree limbs, place them so they form a shelter and cover with burlap.

The burlap can be pinned or nailed into place, it may not look terribly pretty, but it will be shaded for the hens.

5. Misting

If your hen house is situated out in the open with the sun beating on it all day, it will get pretty hot in there!

You can cool the outside by hosing down the exterior a couple of times a day. It can reduce the interior temperature considerably.

You can also provide the hens with a mister. Misting heads for hoses are inexpensive and provide a cooling mist for your ladies when they venture outside. It also helps to reduce the amount of dust created around the hen house.

If your water source is limited (a well) or you are paying by the gallon, you may want to mist in short bursts, say one hour of misting every two or three hours during the hottest part of the day.

Some folks will wet down the dirt in and around their dust bathing areas to get the soil good and wet. Bathing in damp soil will help them to get cool.

Although most chickens don’t like getting wet, they will enjoy paddling in a wet or muddy area to cool their feet and legs and help to reduce overall temperature.

Chickens Drinking Out of Puddle

If you can make a nice muddy area under a tree, so much the better!

6. Icy Treats

In the most extreme heat, your chickens can benefit from frozen treats and ice cubes in their water.

In case you didn’t know, chickens LOVE watermelon. Freezing or even a refrigerated, watermelon halved will make your chickens go nuts.

Not only will they benefit from all the water in watermelon, and rehydrate, they will also cool down if the melon was chilled.

Floating ice cubes in their water are a fantastic way to give your chickens some relief. They will curiously peck at the cubes, rehydrate, and cool down in the process.

Frozen fruits and berries can also be added to their waterers for a more exciting, and nutritional experience.

Putting frozen treats in your chickens’ water during hot days will also encourage them to drink when they’ve already become dehydrated.

Unfortunately, a dehydrated animal often stops drinking altogether. Luckily, chickens are curious enough to start pecking at anything interesting in their water, which will help encourage them to keep drinking.

7. Even More Shade!?

If you need shade that is quick to put up and easy to move, here are a final few idea for you.
Patio Umbrellas!

Depending on the type you have available, make sure it’s firmly anchored into or onto the ground. This idea is not perhaps practical on a windy day, unless you are Mary Poppins, but it will do the job!

Portable patio umbrellas are the best because you can move them around during the day as the sun moves.

Is there any way you can rig up a cooling fan inside the coop?

The cool moving air will help to lower the temperature a little. If you have lights in the coop, be sure to turn them off.

It may seem silly, but it does help to keep it cool.

Chicken Heat Stroke Treatment and Shade Ideas Summary

Heat prostration can be deadly, but as long as you pay attention to your flock’s needs you can avoid your girls getting ill or worse.

Remember it’s important that they not be overcrowded, have access to cool, fresh water at all times and have adequate shade and cooling through the hot spells.
A final tidbit, try to leave the hens alone during hot weather, don’t fuss with them.

Any exercise or extra exertion can cause them problems, so refrain from picking them up or hugging them. They and you will survive the temporary separation!

We hope these tips have been helpful for you.

If you have an idea that we didn’t mention, please let us know in the comments below!

Read Tips to Keep Your Hens Laying Eggs

23 thoughts on “Chicken Heat Stroke Treatment and 7 Shade Ideas for Your Flock

  1. Great article! It’s been in the mid 90’s in NC! I really enjoyed all the cool tips! Thanks!

      1. My girls are new here. 4 14 week old Labender Orps.
        I am in Georgia where temps are upward of 100.
        Their pen is covered with tarp and small coop inside there) houses up to 6). We have two shop fans on high in locations where they can get as much as they want, or get out of them entirely.
        My concern is, the ninnies are going in the roost during the day. All doors are open and vents but I worry.
        Should I lock them OUT of roost?? Will they get out if they’re too hot??
        New chicken mommy so I’m a nervous nelly.

        1. Hi Mary,
          It is strange that they are going to roost during the day.
          Do they have a large pen/run area where they can roam during the day?
          I would make sure that sections of the run are covered to provide them with shade and also make sure they have a drinker in the run.
          Claire

  2. Hi my name is Levi gauze…I know this sight is about chickens but I have 2 golden Chinese pheasants and the female is loosing feathers quickly and skin patches are appearing can you maybe tell me or give me some info on how to fix that?…id appreciate it

    1. Hi Levi,
      Thank you for getting in touch.
      We do have a few feather loss articles on the blog which I’d recommend you read. However I have never raised pheasants so I’m not certain how helpful they will be,
      Claire

  3. We have a silkie who I think suffered a heat injury. She’s about 20 weeks old, and not laying yet (not expected to for some time). She was fine and feisty earlier, but at night, when I went to close the coop, the other chickens had gone inside, but she was sitting still out in the dark. All the other chickens (same age, different breeds) are fine. I immediately brought her in and started spoonfeeding her water. I noticed that the long hair over her face had matted down and she probably couldn’t see to find enough water. We are on day 5. She is still alive, but lethargic and sleeps a lot. She is eating .. very little, but at times with energy. She drinks an electrolyte and probiotics solution that I added a little bit of sugar and a little bit of apple cider vinegar. (she’s now inside where it’s cool). She will stand up to poop, usually, and now that she’s drinking more than eating, her poops have become very watery with a few chunks, but she poops a good number of times. (output seems to match input). She’s even stood up and walked a little, once even hopping off the table into her box (a matter of about 8 inches). She chirrups at me when I talk to her, and once attempted to peck at a cat who got to close. Usually she ignores the cats though. She is not herself, but she seems to be improving. I’m looking for more information about chickens and heat injury. I have looked at a lot of sites about parasites and disease, and really do not see these symptoms in her or the others (all if the chicks were vaccinated too). I also checked her over quite thoroughly and see no injury or sign of hard crop, etc.
    I am finding a lot of webpages about preventing heat injury, and immediate first aid, but less about treatment and recovery!
    Thank you

    1. Hi Connie,
      First of all, thank you for taking so much time to care for this little Silkie!
      Yes you’re right the majority of the page is about prevention and immediate first aid. Treatment and recovery varies a lot depending on the injuries and can be best provided by someone in person or a train vet.
      I have my fingers crossed for both of you,
      Claire

  4. i would like to know if i could put a little air conditioner in the chickens coop we live in florida and it is so hot in the summer would it help them we have 40 chickens. thank you

    1. You certainly can Jeannie, but depending on the breed it might not be necessary.
      Let me know which breeds you have and I can help explain further 🙂
      Claire

  5. Thanks for all the info. My wife and I are first timers with hens. They are 16 weeks old now and we (along with our 2 year old son, and 5 year old pup) are enjoying them immensely. Who knew they could be such therapeutic critters coming from a vet with severe PTSD? I noticed one of our girls panting yesterday as temps are rising quickly and the humidity is rising as well so did some googling as soon as I had time. Thanks for all the helpful info. ‘preciate it!!

  6. As we have well water and are concerned about water usage, I went a different route with my birds instead of a mister. I took a 2′ X 2′ X 4″ deep tray and filled it will cold water and put a frozen gallon jug of water in it. Then placed it right next to the run and put a fan behind it so it blows cooler are in the run. It’s an L-shaped run, so they have the option of being in the breeze or not. I find most of the time they’re laying or standing right in the breeze. It’s also covered with shadecloth on the top, west and south sides (halfway down the sides to make sure there’s plenty of ventilation).
    Next I took a silicon muffin tin and filled it with water & electrolytes and froze it. I add a couple giant cubes to their larger water tray off and on all day. They have 4 smaller water cups that I refresh with water I keep in the fridge all day so it’s nice and cool.
    What we won’t do for the sake of our chickens, eh?

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  12. I’m new to the chicken scene. We live in central florida and I would like to raise ten Iso Browns. I have a large 53 x 25 foot run and a coop that is on cement slap, block built measuring 7′ x 8′ and 8 feet high. It has plenty of windows, large critter proof windows but is not in the shade, the run is completely in dark shade. I’m wondering if my Iso Browns will be a good choice for the heat and if I would need to have an air conditioner or will a fan be enough at night. THank you!

  13. Not all breeds were meant to stand up next to the high temperatures. That s why it s crucial that you find breeds that match your average climate. Some breeds handle heat well, and some are cold hardy, but few are both.

  14. Offer shade for chickens. Again, this is pretty self-explanatory, but can make a huge difference. Without shade, chickens won’t have any place of refuge in which to escape the heat. You could add a small table over a corner of your coop under which your chickens can rest and enjoy the shade. In extreme heat, any small difference helps.

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