MARANG: A poultry farmer in Kampung Kundang here has come up with an innovative way to keep his chicken cool during the current dry spell.
He takes water in his mouth, picks up a chicken and sprays the water on it. He repeats this tedious process three times a day.
Harif Razik, 52, who started poultry farming in his teens, said this was the first time the hot weather was causing problems.
"During dry weather the chicken must get adequate supply of water. Otherwise they will succumb to the heatwave and die.
"In addition to giving them water to drink, I also spray water on them to ensure they are not dehydrated.
"Chicken that is let loose may not face problems because they can find shelter under trees but those that are confined in the coop need to be properly managed," he said.
Harif, who is also known as Pok Arih, said the weather was relatively hotter than usual, and this could cause chicken to be infected by diseases easily.
"Normally, infected chicken will have watery eyes, exhibit symptoms of cold and make gurgling sounds.
"The chicken need to be given extra attention because I bought some for RM1,600 each," he said.