Beat the heat!

Andrew Fothergill, National Poultry Advisor at Farmgate Feeds gives his advice on keeping your hens comfortable in the warmer months.

- Andrew Fothergill

As we learnt last year, UK summers can be erratic, so we must prepare for all eventualities especially where heat waves are concerned. Although hens are a low-maintenance animal to care for, one thing that they are not great at is keeping themselves cool, calm and collected in extreme heat!

Sustained hot temperatures and high humidity can cause uncomfortable conditions for hens as birds cannot sweat and so to cool down, they open their beaks, pant and spread their wings. These cooling strategies can become exhausting and if not enough, can affect their eating patterns which can lead to health issues and reduced egg production.

Here are some top tips which will make all the difference to reducing the effects of heat stress on your flock.

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