Summer with Poultry in the Backyard

 

As January rolls into February most of Australia is in the hottest part of summer.  With higher daytime temperatures, higher we’re experiencing some warmer nights too.  Chickens, just like humans, feel the effects of summer temperatures and can become more unsettled as their bodies start to try to overcome the changes in temperature fluctuations and avoid overheating or heat stress.

Chickens definitely feel the full brunt of summer when temperatures start going outside their ideal ambient temperature of 18-25 degrees Celsius, the other element that amplifies the severity of their heat tolerance is humidity. The combination of high temperatures plus high air humidity will increase your bird’s discomfort and chances of heat stress. Unlike humans, chickens don’t have the ability to sweat and therefore have to find other ways to maintain a safe body temperature. Some of the ways birds naturally cool down are listed;

 

What you may observe	What it means or looks like
Panting/laboured breathing	Their respiratory rate increases, beak wide open and often with spread wings. This is done to remove heat from body and increase their surface area exposed to air movement.
Sitting or seeming lethargic	Tendency to sit more and less desire to range. Watch their water and feed intakes as they may drop or cease.
Dust bathing or digging/burrowing	Dust bathing removes direct sunlight off feathers and skin. Digging/burrowing gets them closer to cooler layers the dirt.
Spread wings	This increases air movement in and around body.
Selectively eating	Reducing feed intake lowers the internal heat generated as part of digestion.
Increased water consumption	As the kidneys start to compensate they will try to keep a balance and increase fluid intake as their body expels more.
Diarrhoea	Digestive upset, loss of nutrient digestion, expelling excess water and nutrients. Kidneys working hard leading to dehydration and fatigue

 

As they start to show symptoms of heat stress similar to those listed below, there are easy ways we can also help them feel more comfortable and happy as we hit the warmer weather. Naturally their bodies do have a mechanism to help resolve heat stress, but nutritionally we can also help. The easy way to keep our birds cool is to make sure they have plenty of access to shade, cool fresh water and everything they need within close proximity.

 

Symptom	Description	Management/ Nutritional practises
Decreased feed intakes	Appetite is severely suppressed when hot, transit times within body also often slow down.	Offer a high nutrient dense diet made of highly digestible ingredients to account for decreased feed intake, moving from a Mash to Pellet can often help also.
Decreased egg production	Production is first thing that goes if the bird is stressed.	Make sure you have areas of shelter/shade to avoid heat, trees, dirt dust bathing etc. Misters and fans can also be used to decrease the air temperature and increase air movement. Use Antioxidants, like Vitamins E and C to protect body cells and decrease the effects of heat stress.
Poor egg shells (thin/weak)	Imbalance occurring in the blood, lower CO2 in the blood causes a lower pH meaning the blood becomes more alkaline. Therefore resulting in less calcium being transferred from the blood to the shell gland.	Offering a balanced diet and making sure electrolyte balance is met. You can use sodium carbonate to adjust pH balance.   You can use of betaine in feed to help maintain osmoregulation and hydration.
Increased stress, partial moult	Production drops or ceases and birds could do a partial moult in extreme conditions as their body tries to compensate	Make sure they have access to clean, fresh water at all times and check it isn’t HOT. Move the water into the shade and refresh it regularly.
Increased mortality	Look out for older birds or young birds that are more vulnerable	Check for signs of heat stress and monitor your flock. Try and keep your birds as calm as you can.
Increased behavioural cannibalism or pecking	Destructive behaviours habits can flare up when stress is evident.	Ensure birds have enough space to feeders and drinkers and that they aren’t fighting over the simple things like nesting boxes etc. Isolate any lethargic birds to avoid bullying.
Diarrhoea	Body trying to compensate, loss/deficiency of body fluids	Use of electrolytes to restore balance, but also you can use a feed containing a probiotic like Biomin PoultryStar, found in Barastoc Poultry Golden Yolk, to help maintain gut integrity and egg shell quality. Frozen fruits and vegetables can also be a great treat.

 

As birds are foraging around the backyard they are selecting for elements of need, however, please be mindful that with compromised intakes (going down) their nutritional demands during times of stress, and particularly heat stress, go up. Barastoc Poultry Golden Yolk with PoultryStar(R) is a poultry specific blend of probiotics and prebiotics that promote the natural beneficial gut microbiota and support a bird’s overall balance. By supporting this natural microflora balance it enables the bird to respond more adequately to times of stress or environmental disturbance, getting them back to their natural selves – quickly and effectively.

 

Barastoc Poultry