Any ways to help keep the chickens cool this summer?!?!

[The Chickeneer]

I've got some tarps and umbrellas for shading them... load up the waterers with ice (ice machine is working overtime this summer) ... And then we took some grape mash from the grape juice we made and a variety of other fruit... mango, watermelon and such... put it in a square shallow tray and froze it. They go nuts for that ... and once it gets all warm and sloppy I bag it up and back in the freezer with it until the next day. About time to put that out there now as a matter of fact!

lol u must have some spoiled chickens. I bearly ever get to eat ice cream

I moved my pheasants to a different spot today, but ofcourse they are still hot. They dont really like to wade in water like the chickens do, i hate spooking them by spraying the hose. would it be safe to put a small fan in there? I know that if I put a fan in the chicken coop i would have to put a cage around it (curiosity killed the cat), but i dont know if pheasants are as inquisitive.

 

[Paul 1952]

lol u must have some spoiled chickens. I bearly ever get to eat ice cream

I moved my pheasants to a different spot today, but ofcourse they are still hot. They dont really like to wade in water like the chickens do, i hate spooking them by spraying the hose. would it be safe to put a small fan in there? I know that if I put a fan in the chicken coop i would have to put a cage around it (curiosity killed the cat), but i dont know if pheasants are as inquisitive.

oh yeah, spoiled as hell! But when they all are walking around with their mouths open and panting with wings held out away from their bodies you know they're HOT! ;-)
My wife has one of those small personal fans that have the soft nerf like blades so no guard necessary. I found this fan... http://www.amazon.com/Soleus-Air-Table-Soft-Blade/dp/B002AH3NGE ... that might do the trick. Or if you had a small window that's screened in the coop you could just hook a regular fan to that on the outside I suppose.

 

[Island Roo]

My coop is under a couple of large trees. The shed-style roof is facing north and the ventilation is aligned to take advantage of the usual wind patterns. Very comfy inside.
The run - also under trees - has a couple of misters. On a hot day I'll go there to sit in the shade and cool off with the chickens.

 

[chickencoop789]

I put out misters and several waterers in the coop and in the run. I put ice and electrolytes in the water. I chop up fresh veggies and put them in some water and put it in the freezer. It makes something like a veggie pop. The chickens like it. I put some frozen water bottles in the coop and sometimes a fan in it too. I cut down a bit on the bedding because it traps heat. Corn isnt good for chickens in the hot weather so I try to stay away from it. All this cool em down.

 

[The Chickeneer]

I started putting frozen water bottles in the waterers, it seems to be working good. I find that it's easier to keep the free range chickens cool than the other birds that are locked up. The free ranging ones can go look for shade, when i spray the hose out in the open they like to go under the "rain" to cool off. The locked up birds seem hotter somewhat, because they cant go out under trees or anything, so I am definetly putting a fan in their coop.

 

[oldhippie62]

I purchased a mister fan from lowes. last year I tried using a small mister and it turned everything to mudd then eventually clooged up and exploded my hose!!! The fan was much more expensive but it covers both my chicken enclosures and the water evaps before it has a chance to settle on the ground and create a big mudd bogg. :-D

 

[oldhippie62]

I forgot to mention, this fan is made so that inquisitive chickies cant get injured clin=mbing and exploring it.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Thanks for the information! My chicks are not free ranging birds....and my first time having chickens.... any and all advice is appreciated

 

[cowgirlHH]

i do it all the time but i dont keep refreezing it i use new bottles each time ;0