Helping Chickens Keep Their Cool

We live in Phoenix. This summer we bought blocks of ice for our girls. They loved it. We put the baged blocks of ice on the bottom of their shaded chicken coop. Leaving the ice in the bag prevented the coop from getting soggy. My girls at the time had not started laying eggs yet. They were about 4 months old. They would all just lay on the ice or next to it. Now they are laying eggs so next year I don't know if this will affect their egg laying? But I would rather have cool happy girls than eggs.
 
by Tiffany Towne, Nutrena
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Poultry Expert


Some people love a summer heat wave, or for that matter, sweating it out in a sauna. Not chickens. For our feathered friends, steamy summer days – which are increasing, due to global warming – can mean trouble. But the right care can help your girls keep their cool and stay productive throughout the season.


Why the Fuss?
Chickens cannot sweat, making them much more susceptible to overheating. Chickens normally lose heat as warm blood flows through the comb, wattles and limbs, cools, and is returned to the body’s interior. Problems occur in extreme heat, when the chicken’s temperature (on average 102 – 103 degrees F) cannot be reduced by this method. Without relief, heat stroke, low egg productivity, or death can happen

Heat Stroke Symptoms
Just like humans, chickens can tell us a lot through body language. Some symptoms of an uncomfortable or overheated chicken include:

Panting
Wings spread to its sides to release extra heat
Loss of appetite
• Lethargic/less active
Diarrhea from increased water intake

The biggest concern about eating less feed is ingesting fewer nutrients than are required for healthy, productive birds. At a minimum, this causes weight loss, a drop in egg production, or eggs with poor shell quality. Worst case, it leads to an unhealthy bird that’s more susceptible to disease.

Hot Weather Care Tips
There are ample ways to protect your birds and keep your flock happy. Here are some basic tips:

Water
A hydrated bird is able to regulate its temperature more efficiently – and keep its egg production up. An egg is almost 75 percent water – so keeping this nutrient available is essential for egg production. A fresh supply of cool, clean water is a necessity year-round, but especially in the heat of summer. Have more than one source of water, so chickens don’t have to move far or fight to get it.

Shade
Coops and runs should be partially shaded if possible, even if it’s just a simple tarp or piece of cardboard. But keep it big enough so that birds aren’t huddling in a small space. Chickens without shade tend to stay inside, away from cooling breezes. If you have darker birds, they’ll need more shade to stay cool and reduce fading, since they don’t reflect sunlight like light birds. Conversely, white birds may take on a “brassy” appearance from having their feathers exposed to too much sun. Also, keep in mind that in hot, dry climates, strong sun, combined with high heat and low humidity dries out feathers. They become brittle and susceptible to breakage.

Ventilation
Proper ventilation is a must. It provides comfort by removing moisture, ammonia and other gases, and provides an exchange of air. Mesh-covered windows let air in and keep predators out. A wire mesh screen doors helps keep the coop cooler at night. Increase circulation with a fan. Also, installing a reliable thermometer to monitor heat conditions is a great idea.

Coop Design
Who doesn’t like a breeze on a hot day? If possible, the windows on your coop should be south facing. This will help with warmth in the winter and dryness (and less rot) during the rest of the year. Also, paint your coop a lighter color, so it reflects, rather than retains, heat.

Dust Baths
Chickens love taking dust baths and working the cool dirt particles into their feathers. Most chickens will simply roll around in a dusty spot in a garden bed or raw dirt patch. Soil, mulch and sand will also work. If your chickens are confined, you can make a great dust bath for them by filling a shallow container (like a kitty litter box) with your chosen material. Your chickens will be happier and cleaner if you provide a good dust bathing area for them.

Treats
Provide chilled or frozen summer treats. Create your own giant popsicle by floating fruit in a bowl of water and freezing. Chickens also love fresh fruits and veggies from the garden (who doesn’t?). As with all treats, don’t overdo it. Feed no more than 10 percent of the total diet in treats, and make sure a complete commercial ration is the main source of food. This way, your birds will still get the much needed vitamins, minerals, energy and protein that the layer ration provides, but with the added bonus of a cool summertime treat! Avoid high starch grains, such as corn, which heat up a chicken’s body temperature during digestion.

Low Stress
Keep stress levels down and avoid getting your birds all worked up. Give them plenty of room to stay calm, cool and quiet. No one wants to “play chase” or be held on a scorching day.

With the right cool-down care, your flock – and you – can have an enjoyable summer. Have fun!



Helpful resources: Find a Nutrena dealer near you at www.NutrenaPoultryFeed.com, subscribe to the Nutrena
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poultry blog at ScoopFromTheCoop.com, and sign up for Flock Minder at www.FlockMinder.com to receive timely tips delivered directly to your inbox.

We have a pie pan for the younger birds and I've caught my older hens using it to cool off as ours were raised with a drake, and a couple know how to fish in the low end of the pond. it's low enough for chicks to be safe but we don't have any right now so the hens have fun having water fights and just standing in it if they get hot, it's easy enough to move around to keep it in the shade
 
First of all, thanks thetmoo for using the correct term, climate change.
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And Abbey Normal (great user name, BTW) eighteen years is hardly a long enough period for measuring global trends, especially with something as fluid as weather or climate. No scientist worth their degree would make such a quick decision using such little data, that's basic high school science! Try looking at average global temperatures over the last 100, or the last 1,000 years if you want to make a true scientific decision. After all, how much validity would you give to an election poll that was taken from a group of just 18 people?


Great article though, I unfortunately lost one pullet just this last summer from the heat; the 2nd hottest in South Carolina history. and that's since records were first kept (1914). June 29 was the hottest in the state, ever. I don't have electricity down in the pen/coop area for fans or such, fortunately the entire area is in the shade most of the day except from 11-1. I do have a 10'x10' tarp over part of the pen giving them at least 100 Ft2 of shade for those hours, and the coop is under that. I also took two 'Gatorade' bottles, filled them with water, froze them every night and put them into their water bin each morning to help keep their water cool.

It's been a miserable year.
 
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My reading came to an abrupt stop when I reached "global warming."


You can also set out shallow pans of water for chickens to stand in - cooler feet, = cooler body. Though you can't keep water very cool once it hits 90's and above.
 
Great article! I would add...

IMHO, misting helps greatly as does a cheap kiddie pooll.
The pool is cut down to a 5" depth, and has bricks in it. I clean it out every day, and they love it.

The mister is Mistymate keepincool 6 that I got on Amazon for about $19. I left it running for my recent 2 week vacation while friends were chicken sitting. The flock came through in great, if muddy, condition!

Next time, I'll use a timer to limit the misting to daytime.

Those timers on them are great! I have a timer on my misters for mine.
 

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