b'Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRY MANAGING BACKYARD CHICKENS DURING PERIODS OF the magazine EXTREME SUMMER TEMPERATURESMike BarnaPublisher By Ashley WrightArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com MSc, Livestock Area Agent, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension ServiceErika Smith Royal B ackyard hens need protection from extreme Editor heat. Without the ability to sweat, hens can quickly overheat and succumb to high erika963realcountry@gmail.com temperatures. Shade, water, and ventilation are the three most basic needs to keep chickens Misty Voitovski comfortable during the summer. Additional cooling such as ice blocks and misters can offer further Creative Director cooling benefits and help birds survive during times of extreme heat. Contributing Writers SIGNS OF HEAT STRESS:Lee AndersonBob Boze Bell BehaviorLike dogs, hens do not sweat. Heat loss is achieved Justin LeglerBetsy Lemaire through respiration. A hen that is simply hot Dodge MarshallColby McCormick may be seen panting lightly, but otherwise will be running around acting normally. A hen under light Randy MillerJim & Bobbi Jeen Olson or moderate heat stress may pant more heavily. She Bill RobertsAlan Rockman may also hold her wings away from her body and crouch slightly to aid in heat dissipation through Bob RoloffJohn Samsill the unfeathered areas under her wings, but she will Katy Stefanowski continue to act normally otherwise. These hensPREVENTION:may not be in immediate danger, but it is a sign thatPreventing heat stress is much easier than treating Michele WilsonAshley Wright further action should be taken to cool them and theit. Have a plan to help your birds stay cool during rest of the flock to prevent heat exhaustion. the peak of summer. Even if you arent able to be home during the day, ice blocks or frozen bottles 801 W. Wickenburg Way A hen in danger of heat exhaustion will be pantingplaced out in the morning will last most of the Wickenburg, AZ 85390 heavily and holding her wings away from her body.day, and misters and fans can be set up on a timer She may have a pale waddle and comb, she may beto come on automatically when temperatures (602) 254-6644 lethargic, limp, or unconscious. A chicken exhibitingbegin to climb. With just a little help, backyard these symptoms is in extreme danger of dying frombirds can make it through the high temperatures ArizonaRealCountry.com heat stress and needs to be cooled quickly. Submergeof summer unscathed.her body up to her neck (not her head) in a bucket of cool (not icy) water and place her somewhere coolShadeuntil she is completely recovered. Chickens should have a place to get out of the sun when they begin to get too warm. This may be Feed Consumption natural landscaping features such as trees or other Feed consumption during extreme heat waves willvegetation, or shades constructed for this purpose. Follow Arizona Reallikely go down; a hot chicken will have a decreasedTarps or shade cloths can be used over an existing appetite. For this reason, its important to limitstructure for a quick fix to provide extra shaded Country for news, events,treats and extras (especially scratch grains). Treatsareas for birds. Consider the movement of the sun should be aimed to increase hen hydration withoutthroughout the day and its effect on the location giveaways and more! further decreasing consumption of lay rations,of the shade within a coop or run. For example, if which contain important vitamins and minerals.your shade feature is located on the eastern side of Feeding hens layer rations in the early morning oryour run, its possible that the late afternoon sun Arizona Real Country is owned andlate evening when temperatures are lower will aidwill cause the shadow to be entirely outside the published by Barna Broadcastingin increasing feed consumption. area your birds can access. Positioning shade in LLC. No person, organization or partythe middle or west end of the chicken run ensures can copy or reproduce the contentEgg Production that chickens will have access to shade during the on our website and/or magazine orEgg production will likely decrease during periodshottest times of day: midday to afternoon.any part of this publication withoutof extreme heat due to the decrease in feed intake. a written consent from the editorsReduced intake also leads to reduced calciumVentilationpanel and the author of the content, aswhich could negatively affect eggshell quality. EggsEnsure that the shaded areas have proper ventilation. applicable. The publisher, authors andshould be picked up even more often in extremeAn outdoor run with a shade cover may not need contributors reserve their rights withheat waves. Most hens will lay early in the day.further ventilation, but the insides of small coops regards to copyright of their work. Picking them up as soon as possible is best from aor other enclosed buildings can become extremely food safety standpoint and will help prevent hensstuffy. Ideally, hens will have a more ventilated from going broody. continued on page 7ArizonaRealCountry.com June 2022 5'