summer tips?

[marahipasc]

i live in a very humid state, i’m in suffolk virginia, so we get very hot humid summers. this is our first summer with chickens(orpingtons, ameraucanas) any tips, tricks, anything specific i need to know to help these chickens tackle this va summer heat.
thanks in advance !!

 

[DobieLover]

Dense shade.
Damp soil under dense shade for them to wallow in.
Wide open windows with a sealed fan blowing across them and out the other side of the coop when roosted for the night.
A shallow pan/pool of water they can walk in. You can add a block of ice to this. I like to freeze a 1/2 gallon tall container and pop that out into the tub of water to slowly melt throughout the day.
Freeze grapes, watermelon balls or other fruit or buy frozen blueberries or similar and toss out for them at the peak heat of the day and dampen their spot in dense shade for them to lay in.

 

[aart]

I use blocks of ice rather than pans of water.
Electrolytes every few days.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[Brooks_]

I've found deep shade to be most useful.

Plenty of fresh water
A mister in one area for damp soil
Ice dumped in the run. They can walk on/peck at

 

[Mrs. K]

Another point about shade - is that it changes through out the day. In my own pen, I have good shade in the morning, and early afternoon, but late in the afternoon, when it tends to be the hottest - my shade has disappeared unless I design for that.

So check your coop through out the day, so that you really understand how it works. And a LOT OF WATER to drink.

Mrs K