Anything I should do when it is hot?

[denise70]

Hi everyone - I am new to this chicken game so I apologise for asking probably a really silly question!

I have 4 BR that are about 10 weeks old and although only a few short weeks ago it was only about 9°C/48°F at night, they did just fine in the coop by themselves.

However, now it is about 32°C/90°F and these poor young ladies are panting all over the yard. My yard is nearly full shade with lots of trees and they spend most of their day free ranging/hiding under my Lilac bush.

Is there anything I should do to help them cope in the heat? Obviously with our ranges in temperature in Southern Ontario they need to be flexible - but I thought there might be a treat or something I could do to help them cool off. I give my dog broth ice cubes to cool down and swims in the lake - My BR girls did get some yoghurt earlier which they enjoyed but I skipped the swims in the lake (LOL)

.

Anything else or should I not worry about them?

One thing I need to figure out is good ventilation in the summer that isn't too drafty in the winter when it is -20°C/-4°F with a killer windchill.

Thanks for your help.

 

[bigdogmom130]

I'm no expert, but my hens get plenty of shade and cold water. I have a cat litter pan filled with cold water that they love to stand in when its hot. I also keep their coop door and windows (with screens) open at night for them. . Mine go under their coop or hang out under the shade tree hanging over their run to cool off.

I also give my hens cold lettuce in a suet cake holder for them to nibble on. They love it. I suppose any cold treat would work as well. They also love cold rice. Hope this helps a little.

 

[denise70]

Thanks for the response - I didn't realise that chickens like to stand in water. My husband just put some water in the wading pool!

I hope it helps!

 

[Karen_at_LittleBrook]

Our area is in a week of record high temps.... and this is my girls first week outside! This is what I have been doing.... Misting down half of their run area with cool water, cold water to drink as well as in a shallow baking pan for wading & drinking if they see fit, chilled watermelon and chilled raw corn on the cob, frozen juice bars, frozen berries (bluberries and strawberries in a bit of water then frozen in a thin layer), shade and cool sand and earth to bathe in, and I have a couple of 2 liter soda bottles freezing right now to put in the run if they want to roost on them....

 

[booker81]

For ventilation, adjustable is good. I'm about west of you in MI - we've been sending some hot weather that way!

We've been keeping the big door open on the shed that the chickens are housed in, which is effectively the whole south "wall". I wasn't happy with that, so I've cut "windows" on the whole side of the back(north) wall (leaving the studs), so the cross breeze is good (there are ventilation grates along the top, but not enough for me

I've kept the wood I've cut out, and will use it to button up the big holes in the winter, leaving the vents along the top open. They still need ventilation in the winter, but not the breeze!

 

[Dar]

I was just going to ask this same question... my run gets direct sunlight all afternoon so I just went and put a tarp up to give them some shade and placed a pan of water out there... I moved their water bottle out there too

I just texed hubby and asked if we can put AC in the coop ...

he has not responded

 

[booker81]

I made a homemade swamp cooler in mine today as well

(Fan, towel and bucket) Knocked it down a good 10 degrees in the coop!