The heat continues...

Sometimes I wish I could just go back to bed and start the day over.  Everything went normally until I went to open the barns and let the chickens out.  It seems that the temperatures in the barn overnight were hot enough to kill one chicken and bring three others to the brink of death.  Of course, just as usual....I panic.  I had Kyle help get the top off the barn had had him run to get his dad.  I grabbed the 3 half dead chickens, turned the hose on and dunked them in the water tub.  Two were aware enough to try and get out, the third just hung limp.  After a few minutes, we had decided there wasn't much more we could do.  Troy buried the hen that didn't make it.  The first 2 staggered to the shade by themselves.  The third, a rooster, wasn't able to stand or lift his head.  I layed him soaking wet in the shade hoping the light breeze would cool him more.  I expected none of them to make it through another day of temperatures in the 100's.  I realized I had forgotten to take care of my sisters dogs...and panicked even more.  I had to leave the chickens, take care of her dogs and get on to work.  Troy called me as he left for work.  He said he didn't see the chickens laying anymore and that the looked to be doing fine.  To my surprise, when I got home at 6:30, I couldn't even tell which chickens had been down this morning.  It looks like I'll be making some changes to the pen tonight and leaving them out of the barn.  I can only pray that by saving them from the heat, I don't set them up to be a raccoon's meal.