Know How to Keep Your Chickens Cool

Chickens are not able to sweat like humans, so they have to resort to panting like dogs. Their other method of cooling down is holding their wings away from their body to allow for better airflow around the core of the body. However, in times of extreme heat, these two natural methods may not be enough. 

There are seven main signs that your chicken may have heat stress. The first five are reversible and are great beginning signs of potential issues down the road. If you catch these soon enough, you may be able to reverse any severe damage. 

1. Pale Pink Combs/Wattles 
2. Lifting Wings Away From The Body 
3. Labored Breathing Semi Lethargy 
4. Diarrhea 

Two signs of severe heat stress that are more concerning and may require immediate action, such as an ice bath: 

If you have a chicken actively experiencing heatstroke, we need to cool them down quickly. First, give them a shallow dish that they can drink out of while laying on their tummies. The water in this dish should be cold and contain electrolytes & a pinch of sea salt. 

Next, you want to grab a t-shirt and swaddle the chicken in the shirt. Then you want to run cold water from a hose over the top of the shirt. Continue running the cold water over the shirt until the core of the chicken has cooled down. 

Using the waddle or comb as a temperature gauge is a good indication of the chicken's inner body temperature. Use your wrist similar to how you check a baby bottle temperature. Once you notice a decrease in temperature, you can unwrap the chicken in a shady area near its shallow water dish. 

Cooling Off Chickens With Shelter 

The shelter you have for the chicken flock is a large factor in combating the heat. The shelter can provide shade but can also have other attributes that aid in keeping chickens cool. Step one to any chicken coop in the winter or summer is ventilation and ensuring overcrowding is not an issue. 

After that, we want to consider the bedding inside the coop. In the wintertime, deep bedding is beneficial for keeping the heat up inside to coop. In the summertime, we should aim for thinner bedding and more frequent cleaning. This will ensure the coop is not acting as a heat sink. 

The last step for the chicken shelter is to change the conditions outside of the coop. Sprinklers and misters can help keep the ambient temperature at a manageable level. This is especially true when the outside area is shaded. Try running these devices on the highest heat days. 

Water is important to chickens all year round, but cold water can be a lifesaver in the summertime. You will want to ensure the water for chickens comes in all shapes and sizes. Ice cubes added to the watering dish is an obvious choice. However, placing blocks of ice in a small swimming pool or making a mud puddle can also serve as a way to escape the heat. 

One thing you may want to consider adding to the drinking water of any animal is electrolytes. This can add flavour, colour, and even smell the drinking water which can entice chickens to take a drink more often. The electrolytes help the chicken regulate their body temperature and fight off any sickness. 

When it comes to food in a heatwave, try sticking to cold and easy to find foods. The goal is to minimize the amount of hard work involved in sourcing food. There are three best practices when it comes to using food to cool down chickens. 

The first option is refrigerated or frozen foods. These can be served up as is in the feeding bowl or placed into the watering dish to help cool the water while providing a treat. The next favourite option would be to shred up the food and place it into ice cubes for a tasty yet cool treat. 

The last option for food is perfect for giving the chicken enclosure some decor, providing shade, reducing the ambient temperatures, and providing food. That is, live plants, and more specifically mint, spearmint & peppermint plants. Mint plants can provide a cooling effect to the chicken once they are eaten. 

There you have it, a guide to keeping chicken cool in the summertime heat. Always be sure to identify signs of heatstroke early on so you can take the steps needed to cool your chickens off. Despite our best efforts and all the precautions in the world, our chickens can still get heat stress. Be sure to let us know in the comments what your favourite chicken cool-down method is.