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Why does it happen?
Some breeds can deal with extremes of temperature better than others
Breeds originating in cooler, more temperate climates have more difficulty in dealing with extremes of temperature. This is an important factor when considering ways of managing heat stress.
Older chickens can sometimes adapt if the temperature rise is gradual, but if it's quick they won't be able to. They're likely to suffer most.
Heavy breeds will be next in line. Broilers - birds bred for their meat - will show signs of heat exhaustion much more quickly than layers.
And chicks (between 6 and 8 weeks old) have been shown to be even more badly affected by heat exhaustion than adults
How to tell if your flock is suffering from heat exhaustion
These ten symptoms are given in order of seriousness, 10 being the worst. The further along your flock is, the worse the outcome is likely to be.
1. Panting
The first and most obvious sign of heat stress.
When the environment is hot the chicken needs to lose heat or its body just keeps heating up. The feathers, which are so efficient at keeping warmth in the body in the winter, also prevent heat escaping in the summer. The chicken needs to cool off by evaporation.
Because a chicken has no sweat glands, she loses the water from its respiratory system - in other words she pants to keep cool.
2. Rapid breathing.
This is related to panting and happens particularly when humidity levels are high.
Because the air the hen is breathing out is full of moisture, it becomes harder to expel it if humidity levels are high. To compensate, the hen's breathing increases from about 20 to as much as 240 breaths per minute. This then becomes a kind of vicious circle. As breathing becomes quicker, the bird is using up more energy and that itself produces more heat. So the problem can escalate very, very quickly.
3. Loss of electrolytes.
This one is the silent killer. It's not something which can be seen, but loss of moisture from the body results in a loss of electrolytes which the chicken needs to remain healthy. Think of them as the energy in the battery which keeps your chicken going - a kind of chicken Gatorade.
Depletion of electrolytes can cause the kidneys to malfunction, the immune system to weaken and diseases to take hold - in particular respiratory disease.
It also depletes calcium stores, and can create related problems, including soft-shelled eggs.
For all those reasons - and also because electrolytes can help weak baby chicks - I keep a bottle of Avi Lyte in my chicken first aid kit and add it to drinking water when temperatures soar. Anitone is also a fantastic product to help with heat stress.
4. Wings are outstretched and feathers more erect.
This happens as the bird tries to expose more skin to cooler air, rather than have feathers trap the heat. You'll often see this in hens who are dust-bathing. In lower temperatures birds will just hold the wings out from the body. As temperatures rise it can look as though they're dragging one or both wings on the ground.
5. The chicken stops eating, and drinks large amounts of water.
A panting bird can't eat as much as it should - it's as simple as that.
Chickens (like most animals) tend to eat less in hot weather anyway. But watch out for your feed not being used in anything like the same quantities as usual. And keep an eye on individual birds to make sure they're getting some food.
In terms of drinking water, if you use a product like Dine a Chook Auto System this won't be an issue since it provides a constant supply of water direct from your mains.
But if your waterers are the more usual type then you will see them empty very rapidly. Chickens who are over-heated will drink somewhere between four and five times their usual amount.
HOT TIP: Its very important to check the TEMPERATURE of your poultry drinkers, even when in the shade, on a hot day. Water will heat up and your flock will either become very dehydrated if they do not drink, or cause organ failure if they drink hot water.
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6. Diarrhea.
This is directly related to drinking more - the birds' output is likely to be much more liquidy than usual. Why does this matter? More liquid loss equals yet more electrolyte loss, weakening of the immune system and consequently more susceptibility to disease.
7. The chicken becomes listless, droopy and disinterested.
It's hardly surprising really, is it? Think about how you feel when the weather is very hot. Your hens are losing electrolytes, not eating much - if anything - and expelling a lot of waste products which are dehydrating them even more.
At this point chickens are certainly showing fairly severe symptoms of heat exhaustion.
8. Egg production is reduced or stops, and the shells are thinner than usual.
By now, the body's balance is disturbed. Food consumption is down, the chicken is working harder to breathe and expelling more waste products than usual. The body needs to use its own stores of protein, fats and carbohydrates to get by.
The hen no longer has enough calcium supplies to lay - or if she does, you'll see the number of thin- or soft-shelled eggs increase. And that, of course, carries its own dangers.
9. Staggering, disorientation and seizures.
By this stage, a chicken will be very severely dehydrated. Immediate action is required if there is to be any hope of saving her. The bird's system is collapsing and death will not be far away.
10. Collapse of system and death.
By this stage there is no helping a chicken suffering from heat exhaustion. The loss of water and electrolytes disturbs the chemical balance so badly that the heart and lungs cannot cope and stop functioning.
Clearly, your aim is to look for and treat symptoms long before this point is reached.
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