Caring for Chickens in the Heat

Let’s talk about how to care for your backyard chickens when the weather is hot, hot hot! Yes, they are birds. Yes, they have been able to survive without help. But, these backyard chickens we are raising are domesticated animals. I believe that every animal deserves proper care if you are going to keep it contained at your home. It is our job to make sure they have the best life we can give them!

Heat Tolerance

Chickens don’t handle the heat well. Actually, they would much rather deal with the winter chill than the summer heat! Why is that? Chickens have a higher internal body temperature than we do which stays around 106 degrees. They also have down feathers under their contour feathers. This is how they trap in heat to stay warm, but unfortunately, that causes trouble for them when the heat isn’t what they want. Chickens are susceptible to heat stress which can cause illness or even death. Chickens who are hot will be panting with their beaks open, holding their wings out to the side, moving around slowly or just laying around, and will drink more and eat less. They do all of these things to help keep their body temperatures regulated. You might notice pale combs and they might not lay as many eggs due to the stress of dealing with the heat. If you notice them becoming lethargic, you’ll want to act quickly to help them out (more on this later!) There are ways to help your chickens survive the summer heat wave and as a backyard chicken keeper, it is your job to set them up for success. There are three main ways to cool your chickens down…air flow, shade, and water.

Shade

I say this every single time someone asks me where to put their coop….put it in the shade!!! You might have the urge to put it in the sun to keep it warm in the winter, but I find it much more beneficial to have it in the shade during the summer. Plus, in the winter, many of the leaves will be gone from the trees anyway so it might not be so shady. If you have the ability to add a roof to the run, do it! Shade in the run is so helpful on hot days. That covering will also help keep their area dry and give them a place to hang out during inclement weather.

We have a fenced in area off the run that has great tree coverage. They chickens love laying in the shade on a hot day. If you aren’t blessed with lots of trees, consider adding shade tents, tarps, or canopies to give them som relief from the sun.

Make sure they have a spot to dust bathe in the shade! Dust bathing will cool them down.

Water

You are probably thinking “Duh, Nikki. We know they need water” but really…they NEED water! Cool, clean water is best! Fill the waterers up each morning and check them often. You can even add ice to the waterers especially if they sit in the sun (which I don’t suggest). Don’t be surprised if you see watery droppings. They are drinking more than they are eating during extreme heat. Save snacks and food for morning and evening when it is cooler to prevent too much activity during the heat of the day.

You can add a kiddie pool with shallow water and stepping stones to provide them with a cool down spot (although they might not use it like we hope!). Or, simply let a hose run on trickle to create a little stream for them.

To encourage them to drink more, you can float some mint leave and frozen berries in a bucket of water! Mine love a big bucket of water on a cool day.

Heat Stress Emergency

If you end up with a chicken who is walking around panting, has a pale comb, or holding her wings out to the side, you can give her a little dip in some cool water. The water doesn’t need to be (and shouldn’t be) really cold, just cool. Gently place her in the bucket up to her chest and allow her a minute to cool down. Some chickens hate this, some enjoy the break from the heat.

If a chicken is lethargic from the heat, you will want to bring them indoors. Give them a cool water bath for 5-10 minutes, place them in a cage indoors, provide cool water with electrolytes, fruits for sugar, grubs or scrambled eggs for protein, and of course their feed. They may need to be indoors for a day or two before they are back to normal. Place them back outside when it isn’t as hot such as morning or evening.

Here is my youtube video on Caring for Chickens in the Heat!