This is helpful info for those of us in the South. I live in FL and I lost a few girls to heat last summer. I was devastated. Then I learned that it helps the chickens a lot if you leave a trickle of running water from a hose during the day. This provides a wading stream that stays cool. Also, shade, shade, shade! I moved their run from a partly shady area to deep shade and it made a huge difference.
One last thing I learned is that there are some treats which are nice in the winter, but should be avoided in the summer because they actually raise body temperature. The two main ones are corn and sourdough discard. I do give these as treats on a late winter afternoon before a nighttime cold snap.
One last thing I learned is that there are some treats which are nice in the winter, but should be avoided in the summer because they actually raise body temperature. The two main ones are corn and sourdough discard. I do give these as treats on a late winter afternoon before a nighttime cold snap.
