Arizona Heat Problems

[wolfwalker]

There is a guy on one of the homesteading groups I belong to that dug down 2 feet, then built earthbag walls up another 2 feet and roofed it. He's up your way near Quartzite. He says in the summer teh chicken pit is around 15 degrees cooler. The hardest part was teaching teh chickens to go inside when it got warm outside. He is now building a larger stand up coop in the same way.

 

[springvalley123]

Now you’re making me feel bad. I’ve never did anything except spray down the floor in the run so they could dig down to the moist soil and evaporative cool themselves. I also provide shade. And there is a wall of trees to cool them from the afternoon sun. I live in probably the hottest place in AZ and they do alright. But then again, I don’t buy Buff Orpington, Black Austrolorps, Cochins, or any other feather factories that are better suited for places that snow.

No, you're making me jealous! Having real trees for shade is a lot better than shade cloth. Especially the old, big trees.

 

[Chickmom96]

I'm worried about my girls too. These are our first set and I can tell they are already really hot. I'm curious, has anyone ever done a stand up fan with a hose on mist attached. I swear I saw something about using one off and on during the day. I'm freezing ice cubes with fruit and going to freeze some gallon jugs of water. I thought about a small kiddie pool too. Our coop is cooler than outside so they have been going in there.

 

[springvalley123]

I'm worried about my girls too. These are our first set and I can tell they are already really hot. I'm curious, has anyone ever done a stand up fan with a hose on mist attached. I swear I saw something about using one off and on during the day. I'm freezing ice cubes with fruit and going to freeze some gallon jugs of water. I thought about a small kiddie pool too. Our coop is cooler than outside so they have been going in there.

You've got a big advantage if the coop is cooler than outside, because in the Valley, the heat of the day is at roost-time. Yes, I've used a misting bucket top fan, and others have used fans with misters together. Many if not most chickens hate to get wet (mister), so I've replaced several of the misting nozzles with plugs to limit the water. Or, you can aim the mist away from the birds, for example to cool off the wall or create a cool area they can go into to cool off. Putting out a tray of ice cubes is great. My chickens loved to peck at the cubes last year. This year I'm in a less-hot area. But I've had to break out the half filled 2-liter soda bottles already. They'll lay next to them. And the half filled trays with clay bricks, the girls eventually stood on the bricks and realized they could cool off without getting their feet wet. I believe others do cut down the kiddy pools and the chickens wade in them to cool off but I haven't done that.

 

[writerskramp]

We are at around 90 degrees already outside and will slowly reach upwards to 110 possibly in mid summer. How can I keep my chicken cool without having to keep them inside the house? At what temperature will be absolutely necessary to keep them inside?

Here is what I am doing now (and even with all of this, they still have their arms up and beaks wide open):
1. Ice cold box to sit near
2. Ice cold water always available
3. Watering the grounds where we have a shade
4. Occasionally splashing water on them when they seem to be very hot (when I'm outside).

I am thinking of either getting a mister or a fan. Any specific recommendations? Also what signs should I look for other than panting and open arms to prevent sudden heat stress/death? Also, any general advice from chicken owners in hot climates would be very helpful.

If you must.. Swamp cooler, you know what that is..? If not visit the southside of Phoenix.. It's a giant humidifier essentially. A large porous material belt rotated through a pan of water, with a stout fan blowing through it.. In the attic of most old houses. Drops the temperate at minimum 10 degrees.. Comfortably.. not air-conditioning brain freeze.. It's awesome simple and cheap. In the coop of course.. Lived there in the late 70's, it was 125 degrees two weeks of July. No ice cold water I would think.. shock. Watering ground would just create humidity, ever been to Florida? A 'fine' misting sprinkler perhaps.. but sun and water mix so well. Think magnifying glass and sunburn when you come back from Lake Mead.. Tried bringing a sunstroke hen back once, she passed out.. the kids left in the summer sun, told em' to move her under the shade. Watered her down.. Lost cause and hen.. as chickens go, she thought she was people. She would always set on your knee. Pet..

 

[Chickmom96]

You've got a big advantage if the coop is cooler than outside, because in the Valley, the heat of the day is at roost-time. Yes, I've used a misting bucket top fan, and others have used fans with misters together. Many if not most chickens hate to get wet (mister), so I've replaced several of the misting nozzles with plugs to limit the water. Or, you can aim the mist away from the birds, for example to cool off the wall or create a cool area they can go into to cool off. Putting out a tray of ice cubes is great. My chickens loved to peck at the cubes last year. This year I'm in a less-hot area. But I've had to break out the half filled 2-liter soda bottles already. They'll lay next to them. And the half filled trays with clay bricks, the girls eventually stood on the bricks and realized they could cool off without getting their feet wet. I believe others do cut down the kiddy pools and the chickens wade in them to cool off but I haven't done that.

We put a turbine vent on the roof screened off so they can't get into it. We are lucky because where we are is windy almost everyday. It also has 6 vents. I'll definitely try the ice water in the kiddy pool. We have 2 buffs and now we realize they are not heat hardy

 

[mopalia]

I use misters and find they lower the telpa reasonable bit. the chickens don't seen to mind getting damp. Just buy the best ones you can have. We have horribly hard water and I have to remove the nozzles frequently and soak them in vinegar - then they are fine fior a while.

 

[dbwebb]

I've lost 4 hens in the past 36 hours due to the heat. (Southern AZ) Its 110+ every day and will be for a while longer. Would an ac unit help in the hen house?

 

[CEO]

I think providing artificial shade might help, I have done this. I think it is key to provide ice cold water, keep doing that. You can’t change this probably but having the coop under a canopy would help.

 

[springvalley123]

Sorry about your losses.
A hose creating a puddle or even a wet spot in the best shade you have will help greatly and not raise the humidity nearly as much as a mister. In these temps even the mister is the lesser of two evils.
Here are some pics of what I've been doing lately. The stand mister is aimed at the nestboxes at the moment because some of the birds are in the boxes laying. Someone was sitting in the dustbath panting so I put the ice bottle in there. One hen is standing on a tray of clay bricks in water that (believe it or not) I had completely changed out a few hours earlier.
At roost time I'll aim the mister into the roost area and possibly turn on the fan. The bucket top misting fan, only lasted a year. Now, the fan works but the mister doesn't, hence the separate blue stand up mister.
I'm at the 4000 ft level in Mayer area, it was 105-110 here yesterday.
Hope some of this helps you!