111 here, and chickens are dying

[Marianne]

Don't the hens have an enclosure with shade around?? I staple landscape fabric over the south facing windows of the coop and that helps keep the coop a bit cooler. You could also hang a towel in front of the window and wet it, it will act like a low tech swamp cooler (sorta), but you'll need to douse it every so often. I also have a piece of siding leaning up against the fencing on the south side of the coop (below the coop) so it's shaded from the sun.

I'm in Kansas, having the same heat, but I'm sure not going to douse my hens in a bucket of water. I can't believe that hen didn't have a heart attack going into the water.
I go out once or twice a day to mist the tall grassy area by the coop. The evaporation cools the air down low where the hens are. I also spray water underneath the coop when I freshen their water first thing in the morning and early eve. Sometimes I freeze water in gallon milk jugs, then put it barely under the coop so the wind blowing by it will be a bit cooler, plus the condesation will always give them something colder to peck at.

This is the hottest time of the year, folks. The huge temp change is going to be hard on the hens too, unless you plan on leaving them in the shop for a month or two.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

The hens have an amazing well insulated and ventilated coop, and even have a high powered squirrel cage fan to move the air. I brought them ice buckets as needed, and its still not enough.
They were more then panting right before I moved them. Straight up gasping would be more like it. I had even hosed them and the floor and bedding down.

The hens will be in the shop till the end of the month I believe.
The hen I stuck in the water to cool off was almost dead already. A couple hours later, and she is up and about and looking much better.
The shop will not be used by anyone for at least a couple months. Dad will not be able to even putter around for a long time.
It is quite literally a 4 bay garage with a pit and a full upstairs, double insulated with a concrete floor and a good AC, so the temporary coop should work out well for them.
My parents have next to no money, with my dad being on disability, so they cannot afford to lose these hens.

 

[curly_kate]

It's been awful around here, too, but thankfully the hens have been handling it OK. There was an article in our paper today with a number to call if you lose pigs or chickens due to the heat. Some program from the government to reimburse farmers who lose livestock. I've never seen that before around here.

 

[AL]

My chickens are in a chickenhouse made of privacy fence panels and we closed it in for the winter, the boards are still up. Today it was 104 at 10am. I wish I had somewhere cool to put them..... . I do set out a tote bin lid for a "wading pool" for them, and I wet down the ground around them. I've dunked a few before that were worrisome and it does seem to help.
Our heat index is supposed to be 112-115 tomorrow, so I will be putting some fans out and taking the rabbits inside.