Beating the heat! What do you do to help your flock in these high temps?

[Heron's Nest Farm]

After several years of having a flock I find this year particularly heat challenging. So what are you doing to beat the heat?

1. I am juicing Swiss chard and adding it to the water supply. Chard is super high in potassium for proper cell balance
2 I added 1 fan on the end of the greenhouse for in air and another on the other end for out air.
3. I raised the bottoms of the greenhouse for cross ventilation.
4. I added a 8' x 30' run of landscape fabric that I mounted from the top of my fence on a diagonal towards the ground (like a shed roof) for more shade. They are lovin' that!

I feel so bad for my hens! I am half naked roasting and they have feather coats on!!!!

 

[PoultryCrazed]

This is the first year of three digit temps in a few years and boy oh boy are our chickens and turkeys taking it hard. I installed a fan gave iced water bottles so they could lean against it. Had cold water 24/7 and gave lots of frozen veggies.
Great thread!

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

I LOVE the frozen veggies idea!

 

[PoultryCrazed]

Yes and they work great some put them in water and freeze them. this would work but i just but I it in the freezer.

 

[azygous]

I got a hot weather tip from a friend whereby you freeze some canned corn into a shallow block of ice. I gave one to my chickens yesterday, and they spent hours pecking away at the ice block to get at the corn, keeping the ice melt drunk up while they were at it, cooling them down. I was very surprised at how well this works, I froze some more last night that they're working on today.

 

[Zoom Zoom]

I found several cute little dishes (holds about a cup) at the dollar store that are now specifically chick dishes. I use blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, corn, and anything else I have that freezes well. Each dish gets a variety along with water and then I freeze the dishes. My girls just love the treats. It takes quite a while for them to get to the different fruits through the ice and as the ice melts, they have cold, fruit flavored water to drink. Provides entertainment as well as something cold and a riot to watch when one finally gets a blueberry and takes off with it and the others try to steal it from her. I've also been making them frozen chicken cupcakes with organic, salt free, peanut butter, oatmeal, chicken feed and raisins. This mixture goes into cupcake papers. I sprinkle a tiny bit of good quality bird feed on top along with a big, plump grape then freeze the cupcakes. I have six chicks and they get one several times a week. They absolutely love these treats.

I am trying to find a kiddie pool but so far, no luck.

I wish I could come up with a better way to help them at night when they are locked in the coop. There is an exhaust fan in the ceiling that is kept running and the windows are left open so there is air movement but it's hot air so they are still so hot at night.

 

[BeachMomma]

About 2 wks ago we hit 100°+ with humidity index. The first day we filled both waterers with ice, did the frozen bottles, frozen veggies/fruit mix and hubby even brought out a huge garage fan to help cool the run. The fan was not directly on them. They did alright but plenty of panting went on.
Day 2 of the triple digits and my husband came up with a genius idea and probably saved the chickens from overheating. He used silver insulated bubblewrap and layed it over the roof of the coop and run. HUGE difference!! Since it's been on there,I've only seen chickens pant a few times.

[Insulated bubble wrap we have is used in Hvac, it almost looks like the silver windshield shades for cars]

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

Wow! These are wonderful ideas!

I am going to make some corn blocks as we are just hitting corn season and I get all my neighbors damaged ears after market.

I have my chickens in a 50 ft poly covered greenhouse. Talk about HOT! I have the roof covered in black nursery floor cloth that holds up great under sun stress for about 15 years and the bottom 12" on both sides is raised. The ends are open and they have about 200 sqft of shaded areas outside. I have watered the yard every night for cooler evaporation. I have a fan in and out of the greenhouse. It has been hard to see them pant. My chicks seem to be fairing just fine and temps are still low enough at night that I have the light on a timer.

I tried frozen water bottles yesterday and no one seemed to like it. Has anyone see the birds use this?

 

[BeachMomma]

Mine would stand on the bottles after it was half melted and not so cold.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

If you're giving them corn or other extra grains, stop. Those foods increase body temperature.

Shade is the most important thing.