Signs Your Backyard Chickens are Dealing with Heat Stress

While most chicken breeds can hold their own in the summer heat, there is always the small chance of heat stress. If you live in a climate where the temperatures tend to sore this time of year, it’s important to know that your chickens can be vulnerable to overheating.

As a backyard chicken owner, it’s important for you to understand heat stress and its most common symptoms. This knowledge can help you take timely actions to keep your chickens safe and comfortable. Here’s what you need to know:

What is Heat Stress?

Heat stress is a condition that occurs when chickens cannot cool themselves down. Unlike us, chickens don’t sweat in the summer. Instead, they pant and hold their wings away from their bodies to cool down. These are usually effective tactics, but when the temperature consistently reaches extreme levels, they become insufficient, leading to heat stress. This incredibly serious condition can harm egg production, make chickens are susceptible to disease, and can even lead to death in some cases.

Signs of Heat Stress

There are several signs that can indicate your chickens are suffering from heat stress. For example, you may notice heavy panting and more open beaks before anything else. This is an attempt by your chickens to release excess heat. Next, the chickens may start to appear lethargic and less active. Their appetite will suffer, and they’ll generally have low energy levels.

A couple other things you might notice if your chickens are suffering from heat stress: their combs and wattles will appear pale, indicating poor blood circulation. They’ll hold their wings out away from their bodies to increase air circulation. And, in some cases, they may also deal with diarrhea, which may lead to further dehydration.

Preventing and Managing Heat Stress

Given the negative consequences, any backyard chicken owner would want to prevent heat stress. But how can you do that? Start by ensuring your chickens have access to shade and cool water at all times. You can even add electrolytes to the water to prevent dehydration. It may also be a good idea to invest in some misting systems and fans to cool down the chicken coops and runs. You should also regularly change the bedding to keep their resting areas cool and clean.

And if you’re looking to expand your backyard flock or start a new one, Chickens for Backyards is the perfect place to find robust and heat-resilient breeds. With more than 100 breeds of baby chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, and guineas to choose from, they provide the best options to suit any backyard environment. Contact us to get started today!