Ways to cool.the coop and run

I ordered 3 small o2cool fans and they finally came today! I attached them to the roost pools and directed them to the nest boxes
Any other ideas to beat cali heat I'd appriciate

I do. Try getting a kiddie pool, fill it up with cold water(not FREEZING), and let your chickens splash around in it for whatever period of time each day, especially if they show signs of heat exhaustion

I have a few of those 6"x12" concrete bricks lying around in the garage so i put them on in the run

spray some water on the surface of the bricks and the ground to allow the brick suck in the water/moisture

+ giving them ice cubes in the water feeder

that's pretty much how i keep them cool in this desert heat

I tried but the girls wouldn't do that last summer. I wonder if there is a very shallow kiddy pool?

Howdy csaylorchickens

Living in Aus, in a sub tropical zone, we get some very hot and humid days and like you, my gals are not into splashing around in water but then they also do not like getting wet and shelter when it rains.

A few things I do to help keep them cool and hydrated are:

* Watermelon is always a favourite in summer and helps with hydration.
* I put frozen vegetables into water, again helps with hydration, cools the water and the bobbing for treats entertains them and hopefully takes their mind off the heat.
* As they do not like getting wet, I damp down the dirt in their shaded run and they seem to like to lay on the cool dirt.
* Or, if they are free ranging, I spray the vegetation in their favourite spot which not only helps the vegetation but keeps that area cooler and the water has a trickle down effect from the vegetation.
* I also damp down and/or create puddles in frequently used paths etc, which they walk through and hopefully aids in keeping them cooler.
* I do have a mister system set up on the run but only use that in extreme heat because we already have enough humidity and adding to it could encourage mould spores which can result in respiratory issues.
* If someone is showing symptoms of getting a little too hot, I have damped down her face, wattles and comb.

Also, if your run is made of sand or dirt, you can wet parts of it. It cools down the chickens.

It's all sand. I'll have to soak it every morning. Also I can dunk them all in the mid day after they are done laying so they can dry off that's a good idea. If I'm not home I'll try putting a very shallow pan with water so they have to walk in it that's a good idea. The older ones hate watermelon they are nuts. But my young buffs love it. So I'll still leave half a watermelon hanging out so they can nibble. I was thinking of putting up a pop up canopy over the coop to keep it shaded? I have one in my garage. Those fans worked great today. I only ran them in the height of the heat before it cooled down.

Thanks for the ideas.

I meant

I live in northern California, (Sacramento) and its getting in the upper 90's to low 100's now which is typical for this time of yer and can last through November. Whats the best way to keep my girls cool during the day? I too am concerned about mold and their feet getting issues like I have herd (chapped and infected by mold). I have a 10'x10' canopy covering them for shade (they get sun in the morning till around noon or so, then it gets full sun). I want to put a mister in their run on a timer two to three times a day, a pool will not fit in their 4'x6' run. Any suggestions will help. Thank you

csaylorchickens said:

I ordered 3 small o2cool fans and they finally came today! I attached them to the roost pools and directed them to the nest boxes
Any other ideas to beat cali heat I'd appriciate

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Ice in the drinking water and in trays in front of your fans.