Summer Care for Chooks

Increasingly extreme weather conditions are challenging people around the world; as you look forward to a long but hopefully not too hot summer in the sun, spare a thought for your hard-working chooks.

The ideal temperature for laying hens is between 18°C and 22°C. Temperatures higher than this can lead to stress and reduced egg production and egg white quality because birds divert energy to regulate their body temperature and eat less. Chickens can’t sweat so they rely on panting, dropping and spreading their wings, drinking cold water and seeking shade to keep cool. Provide access to shade – either naturally from trees or shade cloths so birds can escape direct sun. If possible open up the chick coop to increase airflow when the birds go in to lay and roost. Help them make a dust bath if your soil type is not conducive to them making it themselves. Clean the coop more often to reduce heat generation from the litter and be more vigilant for Red Mite because populations can explode in hot weather. Make sure a clean water source is available at all times as chickens dehydrate quickly in hot weather. Chickens will drink less dirty water that has been used by wild birds as a bird bath. Water in black plastic pipes gets quite hot so make sure it is buried and the water trough shaded if possible. If you really want to go the extra mile add ice blocks to their water containers on very hot days – Calf Expert Karen Fraser recommends frozen peas as a cool treat.