[Dawnuss]

Iwas sat watching my girls all free range the garden today and they seemed to be panting like dogs  ???they all had their beaks open slightly if that makes sense. There is plenty of shade in the garden the could have retreated to and they all had access to water which they had now and then. Is this normal chook behavior???

[joyfull]

if they were panting and not gaping then it could be just the heat. Gaping is often a sign of gape worm and respiratory infections. When did you last worm them and what with? Have you listened to the their breathing? Is is laboured, or rattly/chesty?

[Dawnuss]

they are being wormed right now (started Monday) with flubenvet. There breathings fine and as it got cooler they stopped doing it. It was definitely the heat but i wasn't sure if that was normal other than the panting the seem perfectly fine and it didnt seem to stop them scratching around and creating lots of mess   

[kegs]

I'd say it's the heat, especially as you're in Devon.  It was unbearably hot in Bedfordshire yesterday and all 4 of my hens were panting.

[jhub]

Mine were the same yesterday, they also held their wings slightly away from their bodies. I assumed it was a cooling mechanism as, like dogs, they don't sweat.

[Dawnuss]

thanks i did wonder if they had been watching the dogs too much