A sad day for our coop...

As temps hit 100 degrees here, we lost 5 of our Cornish X Rock birds.  They are big birds and the heat just got too much too fast. Two were gone and within minutes 3 more.  We had fans(4 of then), tons of cold water, shade in their covered run and their coop is huge with good ventilation and space.  They just couldn't take it. My husband left for the store with my youngest to get more fans and to see if he could rig up some kind of mister to cool them after the first 2 died and my oldest came running in to tell me, I was up working in my office.  He said we were going to loose them all.  He is smart for a 13 year old and he was right.  We quickly filled our recycling bins full of cold water to height were the birds could stand in them and the dipping began and, you know what? We saved all of those birds.  Some look stressed still, but for the most part they are doing well. A few, one in particular looked a little put out about the entire dip but she sure looked better after.  One of the big hens loved it and stayed in the water dip for 15 minutes. 

Granted, we were going to butcher these birds in 2 weeks, but dying from the heat is no way I wanted one of my birds to go by.  I feel responsible to care for them well and have them killed humanely when it is time.  My boys buried them and said a little prayer for our lost souls.  I am proud to say that I think my kids getting this farming animal thing.  No tears, just heavy hearts for the way it all went down.