We have had 42 and 41 degrees here the last 2 days (lost a few birds from it) anyway one of my hens had been sitting on 4 fertile eggs for 10 days and the last 2 days hasn't been sitting with the heat, my questions is will these eggs now be no good?

I am quite certain I have lost some viable chicks from eggs from hens that left the nest during the hot weather over some days. These are hens in another area and not where the aircoolers are.

Have you any cooling sytems in place where you are breeding ?

Another thing I do is to remove the sliding doors to the nestboxes during the hot part of the day and replace them with ones cut from aviary mesh. Havent had any hens spooked by the open look as yet and they get some airflow. I put the other nestbox sliders back for the evening.

Edited January 1, 200817 yr by KAZ

I find its best on hot days.To water in the morning & try not to disturb them for the rest of the day.

I guess it depends on the type of avairy & breeding room.I have a old water type cooler & I place

it in the door way of the breeding room & leave it run all day.Itkeeps the hot air moveing & a bit of moisture in the air if you keep the water up to it.I had 2 chicks hatch out some time yesterday, between 0600 & 2100 hrs.They were going okay when I looked this morning.I did`nt lose any birds from the heat.

Where I live- over summer we frequently have weeks at a time of 40-45 degrees, my birds are all outside but I do hose the aviary during the day and freshen the waters so they are cool. They usually spend the day on the floor in the peak heat hours but after I hose the aviary down they cruise around chatting for a bit while its cool.

If the hen returns to the nest at night and when it starts to cool down there is a big chance they will be okay. My fingers are crossed

 

I guess breeding during summer where you are isnt usually a problem- just the freak heat wave upsetting things!!

I am quite certain I have lost some viable chicks from eggs from hens that left the nest during the hot weather over some days. These are hens in another area and not where the aircoolers are.

Have you any cooling sytems in place where you are breeding ?

Another thing I do is to remove the sliding doors to the nestboxes during the hot part of the day and replace them with ones cut from aviary mesh. Havent had any hens spooked by the open look as yet and they get some airflow. I put the other nestbox sliders back for the evening.

 

 

We have the breeding boxes in the brick garage with a water type cooler going in there on the hot days, I will try the cut out fronts on the nest boxes too.

It was out in the aviary that we lost 2 hens (older ones) we have put up a false roof with 6 inches between roofs and shade sails over the aviary and put in a sprinkler system so hopefully all will be okay now.

At least we have a bit of a heat rest today only expecting 23 degrees.

 

Thanks for all your advice, greatly appreciated.

40 degrees centigrade here in Perth today. Have rigged up an awning over the birdroom and aviary. Put mesh sliders on the nest boxes, and icecubes in the water drinkers. Two water coolers running in the birdroom. Hope the birds will cope.

YUK!!! I'm watching the cricket which is in Perth and it looks really hot. Good Luck and hope all your birds do okay! :hap: