Managemental Interventions to Reduce Heat Stress in Chickens
Chickens are very sensitive to environmental temperature. Their growth, egg production and health are severely affected during extremes of weather conditions. Therefore, within the economically feasible limits, optimum temperature has to be provided to the poultry birds, in order to obtain optimal growth rate and returns from the farming entity. During the summer season, the chickens will need more special attention. Chickens have a much higher body temperature than other animals and humans. The average body temperature for a chicken normally will run at 102 103 degF. Their heart rate is normally 280 315 beats per minute. Another fact is a rooster will take around 18 20 breaths per minute while a hen has 30 35 breaths per minute. The average life span for an egg laying chicken is around 5 8 years for large breeds such as your Rhode Island Red's but have been known to live 20 years while broiler meat purpose birds only live up to 1 3 years. The summer heat can create more problems for chickens than cold weather. It's easy to see they are insulated well with many feathers. Chickens fluff up their feathers as many birds will do which traps air between the layers which keep them warm during cold weather. In hot weather they seek out shade. They lay down and spread their wings and bodies out to cool down. However, the provision of cold drinking water can ameliorate huge amount of stress from the chickens.