Portable AC in the coop?

[TaylorGlade]

Question #1: Should I be more concerned about the actual temperature or the heat index? The actual high will be below 100 (barely) but indexes in the 110+ for the next 10 days.
Question #2: Many people have suggested wetting the run down. However, we live in a very humid climate. Would this just make the humidity worse like the misters do?
Question #3: We have a floor standing portable AC that we can run an extension cord out there and try to keep the temperature in the 90s in the coop. Should we do that? I don't see lowering it to below 95 because then they won't be acclimated to our climate - but much over that kills them, right?

For reference: We have 12 7-8 week old cream leg bar chicks. 2 17-week old Australorp pullets and 1 18-week old Lavendar Ameracauna pullet. The babies and the pullets have not been integrated yet. The heat has made that very difficult.

Things we have already done:
1. Fan in the run (wall-mounted oscillating)
2. Fully covered run
3. Put frozen bottles in their water
4. Put out frozen milk jugs (that they ignore)
5. Bring them frozen treats (like peas, cukes, watermelon)

The coop is already well ventilated with open eaves. But, I've also been opening the nest boxes for extra ventilation. (of course, I'd have to close these if we put an AC out there.)

The worst part is, this heat is due to remain for at least the next 10 days! I've lived in Florida my entire life and don't remember a summer like this one. Man, did we pick an off year to get into chickens!

I wouldn't do this for typical run of the mill heat, but this seems extreme! Is this an acceptable idea?

 

[TaylorGlade]

Thanks for adding that. Did they do ok today?

Yes. They did ok. I just can't wait for August to be over.

 

[TaylorGlade]

I just checked on them again and they seem to be doing fine. For whatever reason, they still refuse to leave their coop. We already had a big fan in the run, but installed a smaller one in the coop this morning. They are obviously hot (panting, etc), but seem ok and the fan seems to be helping - as well as the frozen bottles I put in their water. It's our first year. I'm probably just a nervous mama hen. LOL.

 

[aldarita]

I'm definitely a nervous mama hen and worry a lot.
Make sure they have water in the coop if that's where they chose to stay. Mine have a routine and move around different places throughout the day

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Question #1: Should I be more concerned about the actual temperature or the heat index? The actual high will be below 100 (barely) but indexes in the 110+ for the next 10 days.
Question #2: Many people have suggested wetting the run down. However, we live in a very humid climate. Would this just make the humidity worse like the misters do?
Question #3: We have a floor standing portable AC that we can run an extension cord out there and try to keep the temperature in the 90s in the coop. Should we do that? I don't see lowering it to below 95 because then they won't be acclimated to our climate - but much over that kills them, right?

For reference: We have 12 7-8 week old cream leg bar chicks. 2 17-week old Australorp pullets and 1 18-week old Lavendar Ameracauna pullet. The babies and the pullets have not been integrated yet. The heat has made that very difficult.

Things we have already done:
1. Fan in the run (wall-mounted oscillating)
2. Fully covered run
3. Put frozen bottles in their water
4. Put out frozen milk jugs (that they ignore)
5. Bring them frozen treats (like peas, cukes, watermelon)

The coop is already well ventilated with open eaves. But, I've also been opening the nest boxes for extra ventilation. (of course, I'd have to close these if we put an AC out there.)

The worst part is, this heat is due to remain for at least the next 10 days! I've lived in Florida my entire life and don't remember a summer like this one. Man, did we pick an off year to get into chickens!

I wouldn't do this for typical run of the mill heat, but this seems extreme! Is this an acceptable idea?

Texas here. Heat index. Mine have had an a/c since 2021. I had a window unit installed in the hen house when the portable died. I leave the nesting boxes available so they can sit in there if they get too hot.(I'd rather change hay than dig graves.)

I also installed a mister line on each side of the entire coop with a a fan on each end. The misters are directed away from the coop at an angle, but they wet the soil and lower the air temp enough so that the dueling fans can suck it in and cool it further inside the coop. It's working great so far. I turn the misters on each day when it reaches 95° and off when it drops to 90° in the evening. The coop hovers around 80° for most of the day.

Early in the season I don't turn it on if the heat isn't going to be on consecutive days. I do want them to develop some heat tolerance. But once the heat kicks in, everything is on.

 

[texsuze]

Looks like you also have the ability on at least one or more of the coop walls to make another good-sized window, with the same "shutter/flap" type awning you've made on the other windows. That would really help air flow in/out of the coop. Be sure to cover the opening with HW cloth. I think your fan ideas will work. You could also try wetting down the sand/dirt in the run in just a small area for girls to stand on. Unless one is living in this Heat Bomb right now, there's no way to explain just how oppressive it is

 

[The cheek coop]

That heat sounds brutal. I would freeze bowls of water to 1: put in the water supply to keep their water cold and 2: to put in the run for them to peck at and drink as it melts. You can also feed them frozen watermelon and cucumbers (the internal temperature of a cucumbers is around 10 degrees cooler the external temp). As far as the coop goes anything to cause air movement will help cool them down (i.e. a fan) it sounds like you have power in your coop area so any air moving device should work. I am not an expert by any means but these are things I know will work. Hopefully someone else with more experience will chime in. Good luck!

 

[TaylorGlade]

Ok so we determined it is not the fan in the run that is keeping them in the coop. Can you describe your run? size? is it covered? do you have anything around that might seem scary to them, like a barking dog?
They used to be out and about when you had the roosters right?

aldarita These are some of the coop and run. The entire run is covered and shaded. There are some spots where sun comes through part of the day at certain angles. The run is 240 ft² and the coop is 80 ft². If I am out in the run with someone else they will come out to see what's going on. But as soon as I leave they immediately go back into the coop. There is a mini run inside of it that you can see in these photos and I just put 12 babies in there a few minutes ago and they are now out in the run again.

The run and the coop typically run about 5° cooler than the weather reports.

Side view of the coop and run. It's not as dark as it looks. That's just the lighting. You can see the ladders here - and the pop doors - the fan is over the pop door.



Coop interior. There is a small hurricane fan mounted on the left wall but not visible in the photo. I open the egg boxes every day - this photo was right before I opened them. - Again - not as dark as it looks - especially after I open the egg boxes.


The water station on the outside - and grit. I fill both the one in the coop and the one in the run with cool water in the AM and put and ice bottle in at the heat of the day. The food is around the corner near the outdoor roost




Roosting rails - there is also more on the other side - 2 ladders - not photographed - and a fan - also not photo.


The mini run for introducing babies. Again - taken before I brought them all out this morning. There are two in there in this photo - but we have 12.


Here are construction photos I've included of us building so you can see the size. All that mesh is covered for shade


Here it is from the front - you can see that the run wraps all the way around the coop. The whole thing is covered - you just can't see the roof on the right hand side from this angle.

 

[aldarita]

Thanks for posting photos of your setup. I cannot see anything that could cause a problem. I believe your 3 pullets are still too young to know what to do, specially without hens to follow up. Now that you added the chicks, it's good to see that they have come out. It takes time and patience, but they eventually get it.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Looks like you also have the ability on at least one or more of the coop walls to make another good-sized window, with the same "shutter/flap" type awning you've made on the other windows. That would really help air flow in/out of the coop. Be sure to cover the opening with HW cloth. I think your fan ideas will work. You could also try wetting down the sand/dirt in the run in just a small area for girls to stand on. Unless one is living in this Heat Bomb right now, there's no way to explain just how oppressive it is

100°+ daily.