Summer tips??

[bantambury]

Any of you have the tips and tricks you use every year and are vowed to the way they work?

its supposed to be 100 degrease here in NC in this nest few weeks!




~Bantambury

 

[Michael OShay]

Just make sure that your coop has good ventilation, that you provide shade for them, and that they have plenty of fresh water available. Of course, having heat resistant breeds always helps as well.

 

[bucky52]

even with all the ventilation, fans and shade trees.my hens are still lifting their wings and panting.with the high temperature's and humidity my hens won't be comfortable until October.unless I air condition their coops.if i figured in the cost of the three barn fans I have running.it would probably be cheaper.But than if we have a power outage they would be in big trouble.

 

[Michael OShay]

You don't need to air condition their coops. I had dual purpose breed chickens when I lived in California's northern Sacramento Valley where temps. frequently reached 117-118 F in the summer (123 F once) and while the chickens did lift their wings and pant (it is their equivalent of our sweating to remove excess heat), they remained in the shade and did okay. Again though, I cannot stress enough how important it is for them to have shade and plenty of fresh water and for the coop to have good ventilation (which it sounds like yours have). I'm just curious, what breed of chickens do you have?

 

[aldarita]

I have plenty of shade in my coops and run and fans running all the time, also I put several water containers so they can wet their feet but only few of them do get in to cool off. We just installed misters in the run that might make things better for them, however I don't expect to lower the temp too much since it is always very humid here but I would think it might help some.
I have 7 ameraucana pullets (a little over a year old) this is their second summer and so far it is OK but we haven't gotten into the triple digits yet. My older hens are panting some.
This spring we got 6 Andalusian chicks that are now 12 weeks old, they are a Mediterranean breed that is heat hardy. We decided that from now on, we are getting Mediterranean breeds only since our winters are not bad but summers are murderous.

 

[Michael OShay]

I have plenty of shade in my coops and run and fans running all the time, also I put several water containers so they can wet their feet but only few of them do get in to cool off. We just installed misters in the run that might make things better for them, however I don't expect to lower the temp too much since it is always very humid here but I would think it might help some.
I have 7 ameraucana pullets (a little over a year old) this is their second summer and so far it is OK but we haven't gotten into the triple digits yet. My older hens are panting some.
This spring we got 6 Andalusian chicks that are now 12 weeks old, they are a Mediterranean breed that is heat hardy. We decided that from now on, we are getting Mediterranean breeds only since our winters are not bad but summers are murderous.

The Mediterranean breeds should work well in your heat. Also, you will gets lots of white eggs from them.

 

[troy4]

If you free range open their door let it air out also put a fan in there keeps it cool.What my aunt does she sprays her coop on the ouside with a hose and it cools it down.Do both it helps it perfectly

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

I put outice water in a tray because chickens can drink it and walk through it to cool off.

 

[chickengirl1193]

I have a fan outside the coop blowing in the window to the roost, will the chickens be okay with the fan blowing on them all night? Or could they get a stiff neck/other body part? Lol it's just a small fan

 

[bantambury]

You don't need to air condition their coops. I had dual purpose breed chickens when I lived in California's northern Sacramento Valley where temps. frequently reached 117-118 F in the summer (123 F once) and while the chickens did lift their wings and pant (it is their equivalent of our sweating to remove excess heat), they remained in the shade and did okay. Again though, I cannot stress enough how important it is for them to have shade and plenty of fresh water and for the coop to have good ventilation (which it sounds like yours have). I'm just curious, what breed of chickens do you have?

thanks everyone! ive been considering fans for the coop but that wouldn't work all too well because its right behind the shop, not allowing us a safe electricity flow to the coop. I have been freezing Gatorade bottles and plopping them into the waterers and it seems to help a lot. we do that about twice a day. I refill the waterers daily, and leave pans of water out as well. between the two coops I guess the ventilation is okay. the big coop has the door open where th4 birds walk in, and the nest box flaps have about and inch of space underneath, but that's about it. in the other coop we built windows on either side of the coop, and it has doors we shut the windows with at night. that coop is a barn design.

the chickens ALWAYS stay either under the coop, under the steps the walk up their coop with, and under the wooden fort we built them. they are takin dust baths 24/7 but I cant stress enough wondering if they are hot. all of the birds are rather laxidazious in this heat, holding their wings out and such, and my silkies seem to be taking the bunt of it. poor girls.

egg production dropped from 7 a day to 2-3. I don't blame them; it is HOT!



im rather worried about my broody. she is on 7 eggs in the barn coop. the top of the coop is hot and stuffy, but we keep the vent doors open so a breeze can go through all day. whenever I see her, she is hovering over her eggs panting. I feel rell bad. HOW THE HECK DOES A BROODY REGULATE HER EGGS HEAT IN 100 DEGREE WEATHER?!?!?! do they just have to let the eggs in the nest to bake themselves?


@Michael OShay I have 2 americuana crosses, 3 silkies, 3 Japanese bantams, 4 Japanese bantam americuana crosses, a silkie Japanese cross, and 2 YOUNG polish. 2 Japanese and 5 more jap X silkies are under my broody.
Japanese bantams are not cold resistant, and I have no idea how they are with heat. 4 of my 15 birds I started last may and they are now 1. they went through all this heat at a young age, but I have now idea how their young/offspring will hold up



Thanks so much for so many of you responding!

~Bantambury


here is the barn design coop. as you can see, the birds can take shade underneath, and this pic also shows the coop windows and the interior. (this pic was taken before the best boxes were installed)


here is a pic of the big coop. we built it to allow the birds to take shelter underneath of the actual coop.


here is the big coop.