KEEPING CHICKENS COOL

[BruceAZ]

My run is about 4 times the size of yours, its 24x24 and yes only half of the top is covered since it is so large, they get plenty of shade. The coop is not part of the run, it is its own little structure attached to the run it is smaller but also open on all sides and the boxes are under the cover. The coop and run only get direct sunlight around 4 to sundown which is not the hottest part of the day. I do not use shavings since I dont like it and I have plenty of sand and i only use a handful of hay in the boxes. I am now thinking of putting a shade on the front side of the run during the hottest times. I wet down the sand this morning so that it would stay wet and cooler for a good while, I also put a frozen water bottle in there waterers and Im thinking of putting in a large horse bucket to fill with water for them to stand in or what ever they want.

24x24 .. isn't it pretty much a garage (size wise)..

do you have thermometers in the house?

try put them in various areas of the coop to check the temperature within the coop and run.. check for hot spots..

how about using those window fans to remove the hot air in the coop ?

for the past few day we got some heat advisory warning.. too much hot air with no wind ..



i put my garden hose in the shaded area for the whole day and yet the water is pretty hot when i turn it on.. which is why i have to let it run for 10 seconds or so before watering my plants or refill the chickens' waterer

you don't need direct sunlight to heat something.. since heat will transfer

even the side of of parked car under a full cover patio can still get pretty hot..

115-117 temperature can heat up pretty much anything.. especially when you are boxed in -- like a coop..

maybe you should try to cover the rest of the run and keep your chickens out in the run during the day ..at least prevent them from going into the coop during the day..

 

[BruceAZ]

off topic for a bit..

even dogs die in the arizona heat

if i'm outside all day with no AC or water. i don't think i can make it either

 

[beerlady]

I, too, live in AZ and have 3 month old chicks. I've found that extra moisture near the coop in the form or a mister or soaked ground invites a ton of flies. I do have a pre-fab coop from Costco, but to increase the shade area I also bought a Shade Sail from Costco that I was able to secure to the fence, eaves, and ground to give them quite a bit more area during the mid-day sun. They are close enough to a wall that the mid to late afternoon sun doesn't hit them. Also, a few slices of frozen watermelon each day are a big hit. They are still panting, but I feel more confident they can handle it.

 

[BruceAZ]

I, too, live in AZ and have 3 month old chicks. I've found that extra moisture near the coop in the form or a mister or soaked ground invites a ton of flies. I do have a pre-fab coop from Costco, but to increase the shade area I also bought a Shade Sail from Costco that I was able to secure to the fence, eaves, and ground to give them quite a bit more area during the mid-day sun. They are close enough to a wall that the mid to late afternoon sun doesn't hit them. Also, a few slices of frozen watermelon each day are a big hit. They are still panting, but I feel more confident they can handle it.

which one did you buy ?

such a huge price drop on the white color coop. the same for the raised garden bed.. sometimes.. the price they have is not really the best deal

but at least they are better than petsmart..

did you add more ventilation holes/gaps/windows? for the prefab coop you bought?

 

[beerlady]

Hi Bruce. It's the same manufacturer but slightly different. It was about $315 out the door.I replaced the door with a solid sheet of plywood to keep a particularly persistent dog out. I also
reinforced the hardware cloth on all the panels

 

[BruceAZ]

this is another thing

pets or chickens. when it's 80-90+ outside or like here 110+..

if you are using the water from the garden hose.. make sure that it's cool..

usually i'll flush it for 10 seconds (until cool) before filling up the waterer for my chickens

this is a mistake that a lot of people made.. filling up their pets/livestock waterer with hot water from the garden hose without realizing it

the hose can be in the shaded area all day.. and it will still get hot.. due to properties of water and heat transfer

be sure to flush the water in the garden hose for 10 seconds or so (or until cool) during the hot summer day before use.

don't water your plants with the hot water either..

 

[beerlady]

I saw that on TV. Poor little guy. Good reminder, BruceAZ.

 

[ShanandGem]

We are headed out of town on Friday and I am very grateful that our heat wave has passed. My smaller chicks didn't seem all that fussed but my almost mature Orpingtons with their beautiful thick feathers were not happy. I wet their run, fed them frozen blueberries, made sure they had ample shade but they were still clearly uncomfortable.

 

[BruceAZ]

Hi Bruce. It's the same manufacturer but slightly different. It was about $315 out the door.I replaced the door with a solid sheet of plywood to keep a particularly persistent dog out. I also
reinforced the hardware cloth on all the panels

sorry beerlady.. i didn't see this post until today..

you bought this at costco?

the wood frame of the coop.. is it 1x2? or 2x2 ?

looks pretty thin.. but it's like this for most pre-fab coop/run for some reason :/

i used 2x4 for mine..which i have to admit was a bit excessive 2x3 should have been fine and would be easier for me to move around (with a hand truck)

i don't know how big your coop is but it should have aluminum or galvanized plate ? pretty easy to clean if you decide to not use any bedding for the floor of the coop..

i coated (3x) the removable floor of my coop with this stuff.. originally i wanted to use the aluminum sheet...but at $16-$22 a sheet.. i didn't bother

 

[beerlady]

yes, it is indeed a bit flimsy. Originally we were going to build a coop but my husband kept coming up with these chicken palace designs that were way too big and cumbersome to build. Not to mention it takes him 6 times as long as the average person to build, in fact he was given the task prior to getting the chicks and after 6 weeks of them being in my dining room I decided that insulting his manhood and buying a coop was worth it. I still wish we had built one, especially considering the cost of upgrading.