In Southern California it gets into 3 digit temps. I drop in small bottles of frozen water into their large self-waterers each morning to keep their water cool, replacing in afternoon as needed. In the heat of the afternoon hours they are supplied with cool, refreshing watermelon, white grapes...
I am a new chicken Mom too and you sound just like me!! I don't consider my chickens spoiled, just well taken care of....Love your idea of using the iron plant holder as a "net" for the watermelon! I have one of those and it keeps the watermelon from getting all dirty and trampled! GREAT IDEA...
I started with ice but it melted so fast that I use the small bottled waters frozen and drop them inside my large waterers. It keeps the water inside the waterers cool all day long!
I have two fans to circulate air, a small stand-up mister in one the corner of their run (which they "flock" too), and drop frozen bottles of water into each of their waterers every morning when I fill them with fresh water to keep the waterers cool throughout the day. I also have heat...