How to help chickens in the heat - 4 easiest ways

Forecasters of the Hydrometeorological Center of the Russian Federation promised us a hot summer with temperatures above the average annual values. So it's time to remember the tricks that will help feathered pets survive the heat

Although chickens love warmth and sun like we do, they do not tolerate harsh or prolonged heat. Hot weather results in reduced egg production in laying hens and lower weight gain in broilers. However, there are a number of steps you can take to protect your poultry industry.

Making shade and mud bath

Shaded corners provide shelter and coolness for chickens on the run. You can drive in pegs and stretch a tarpaulin, and it is not necessary to construct high arbors with columns, it is enough to make shelters slightly higher than the growth of birds.

The second option is to buy ordinary and cheapest umbrellas and dig in where shading is required.

It is even easier to stretch any black fabric between the trees so that it forms the dome of the tent, and put perches under the trees. In the same place, in the shade of an APPLE tree or shrub, set aside a place for a mud bath - dig a small depression, cover with plastic and sprinkle with earth with wood ash, and then fill the bath daily. Birds love lukewarm water and are happy to soak in the bath and at the same time get rid of external parasites.

But dousing chickens from a hose with ice water is completely useless, you risk causing shock in animals.

We clean the chicken coop more often

It is always recommended to provide good ventilation inside the chicken coop, especially in hot weather. Make sure the chicken coop has closed (but predator-proof!) openings from which a light breeze blows. Is it possible to replace, for example, one of the walls with wire mesh? And when there is no time for reconstruction, leave the door open for the day, propped up with a log.

Get out more often and make sure that the bedding layer is no more than 5 cm. 

We follow the water

In the heat, chickens need fresh and clean water, moreover, twice as much as in winter. Keep bird drinkers in plain sight and place one water source under shade. To do this, replace one large drinker with several small ones.

Water in shallow containers is easier to change to keep the water cool. At noon, throw a few ice cubes into the drinkers.

Ordinary fresh water certainly won't harm birds, but green water in plastic containers should be treated as a harmful "bacterial soup" fraught with disease, so be sure to clean the drinkers with at least a simple toothbrush.

We feed with green additives

In order to maintain optimal HEALTH, birds should consume the usual amount of food regardless of the weather.

Freezing food for an hour is one way to make it potentially more appetizing in the heat, and adding frozen treats such as watermelon chunks or chopped greens (lettuce, cabbage, comfrey leaves, or nettle leaves) will improve intake.

In addition, the presence of ice crystals in plants actually lowers the body temperature of chickens from the inside, because, unlike us, they do not sweat.

Minced garlic in the diet is also a good addition, as garlic is a versatile tonic and can be used as a heat reliever.