
In hot weather, chickens are at risk of heat stroke with a high risk of death. Birds do not sweat like humans do, and their ability to regulate body temperature is somewhat limited. Therefore, it is worth knowing how electrolytes are prepared to prevent overheating.
Let's start by looking at ourselves - what do we drink in the summer? Most likely, your choice of soft drinks in hot weather is significantly different from strong drinks in the winter cold.
It's the same with chickens. One strategy to keep your feathered pets healthy in the scorching heat is access to plenty of cold water. The most famous life hack is to add ice cubes to the drinkers.
However, electrolytic drinks not only protect the body from stress, but also promote growth and egg production in hot conditions.
However, let's start with the main thing - HEALTH protection. As mentioned above, chickens don't sweat. Instead, they spread their wings and lift their feathers, allowing the heat to escape. They also pant and vibrate their throat muscles to release warm moisture.
How to recognize heat stroke in chickens? Birds will pant, spread their wings wide, and fall with their eyes closed. Signs are diarrhea, refusal to eat, lethargy.
As first aid, the bird is taken to a cool, dark room and there it is carefully washed, starting with the legs and ending with the scallop, with cool, but not ice-cold water. Then the electrolytes are soldered and left to recover.
Electrolytes are made up of minerals and alkalizing substances and play an important role in controlling fluid balance in the body. They affect body hydration, blood acidity, muscle function, and other important mechanisms during heat stress.
Electrolytes are especially important in summer or during heat stress because the body uses them up faster. On sale you can find ready-made preparations or make them yourself.
It's always a good idea to have some electrolytes on hand in your chicken medicine cabinet. After all, they can become a decisive factor between the life and death of a sick chicken or chicken.
Homemade Electrolyte Recipe
1 glass of water
2 teaspoons of SUGAR
1/8 teaspoon SALT
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Stir until sugar and salt are completely dissolved. To serve, dilute 2 teaspoons in a glass of water and pipette a few drops at a time.
As a preventive measure, mix electrolytes with drinking water (at the rate of a cup of electrolytes per 4 liters of water) and give three consecutive days a month. To water all livestock, fill all drinkers with ready-made drink, removing plain water from access. After the birds have drunk the healthy composition, return the plain water.
Throw away unused liquid solution at the end of each day. Dry mix can be stored in a veterinary first aid kit for an almost unlimited time.