# Panting chickens



## pjs (Mar 19, 2013)

All my chickens have been panting they have plenty of water and are roaming the yard. With plenty of shade. It's been 80-90 degrees here and lots of rain.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

They 're hot. Just make sure they have water and they'll be fine.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Agreed. They can't sweat so they must release humidity in that manner, much like dogs.


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## aacre (May 5, 2013)

I freeze 2 liter bottles of water every day and put one in the coop for them to hang around to help keep them cool. Mine seem to like it anyways.


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## hthman1999 (Jun 3, 2013)

Just make sure they aren't being ran by anything like a dog, cat, or anything else. They'll be fine.


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## fundabug (Jul 18, 2012)

I was fortunate enough to come across an old ice machine, like the ones at restaurants or hotels. I had to rebuild it to get it working, but it was free. On hot days I give my chickens a big bowl of ice and they go nuts with it. They peck at it and when it starts to melt they stick their heads and feet in it. It gets pretty gross quick, but they love it. If you can get lots of ice cheap, I highly recommend trying that on a hot day. Sometimes I cut up cold strawberries or put blueberries in with the ice, they REALLY like that. We have had heat indexes here around 105 degrees for the last few days and I feel bad when I look out and my chickens are painting, so they have been extra spoiled lately. We grow our own blueberries and strawberries. If you have never fed your chickens cold blueberries, you should try it. They go flippin nuts over them.


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## JC17 (Apr 4, 2013)

fundabug said:


> I was fortunate enough to come across an old ice machine, like the ones at restaurants or hotels. I had to rebuild it to get it working, but it was free. On hot days I give my chickens a big bowl of ice and they go nuts with it. They peck at it and when it starts to melt they stick their heads and feet in it. It gets pretty gross quick, but they love it. If you can get lots of ice cheap, I highly recommend trying that on a hot day. Sometimes I cut up cold strawberries or put blueberries in with the ice, they REALLY like that. We have had heat indexes here around 105 degrees for the last few days and I feel bad when I look out and my chickens are painting, so they have been extra spoiled lately. We grow our own blueberries and strawberries. If you have never fed your chickens cold blueberries, you should try it. They go flippin nuts over them.


My chickens LOVE bluberries! They go absolutely nuts over them lol


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## chickadee3 (Apr 14, 2013)

Mine too! It's how I trained them! X


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

For a quick way to cool down water, one can freeze bottles and jugs in the freezer and place them into the waterer...and just switch them out each day. That way they are ingesting cool water that can cool their core. 

I haven't had to do that for a long time with my animals since the temps rarely get past 100 here...but sometimes they do and I'll cool down their water a bit. 

Other ways to help them is to keep them slim and fit in the heat so that any activity doesn't overstress their cardio system, replace electrolytes by adding simple ACV in the water, and providing double shade and dusting spots in the shade.


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## ellis36 (Mar 25, 2013)

I spray down the grass real wet in the shady spot where their water pan is about five in the afternoon and refresh the water in the pan. They stand around in the wet grass for about fifteen minutes drinking water, then off again.


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