Aussie summers

[AussieChics]

I was just wondering how people keep their chickens cool during extreme summer heat. This will be our 2nd summer and I think we did ok but after some other ideas.

last year I gave them frozen water down juice blocks filled with veggies. They didnt really like it.

I freeze their water containers full and give 1 before work and then 1 when I return. They last about an hour before being fully melted.

I've been thinking if I put a kids pool with some water they might play in it? Also going to put misty sprinklers around the run (they do not like the hose or big sprinkler) to help cool it down.

They have a heap of shade throughout the day but they do get quite hot.

Any ideas would be great

 

[appps]

For those super hot 40deg days I've got a bit of black poly pipe cable tied to my fence next to their favourite shade spot with misting sprinklers in it.

I connect the hose to it and connect that to an on and off timer I got at buntings. I set it to turn on for ten minutes every hour. It's amazing how much it cools the air temp down wind of it.

 

[AussieChics]

For those super hot 40deg days I've got a bit of black poly pipe cable tied to my fence next to their favourite shade spot with misting sprinklers in it.

I connect the hose to it and connect that to an on and off timer I got at buntings. I set it to turn on for ten minutes every hour. It's amazing how much it cools the air temp down wind of it.

Thats exactly what I was thinking! We had 48 degree days last year and I just wanted to bring them in under the air con. But with cream coloured carpet its not the greatest idea.

Didn't think of the timer though. Will have to get my partner onto that one

 

[Steampunked]

For some animals I've also used large concrete blocks in deep shade (under a coop, etc), which allows a bird to spread out and dump some of the heat. It works for rabbits too. A deep, recessed dust bowl for them to dust bathe in, in deep shade, also helps. Planting fast growing shady vegetation close to the run will help long term, and it will change the micro climate a tiny bit.

Keep multiple containers of water in the run, so as the sun moves, there will always be a container in the shade.

Get rid of droppings as fast as possible (like anyone wants to be raking a chicken run in the heat, ugh!), because the decomposition adds to heat at the ground level if the chickens are lying there to get cool.

I've heard some people will freeze half a watermelon to toss in there, but, I can't fit that in my freezer!

If the chickens dig holes in the dust, that's fine - put some water in them, and they might bathe in it (I had rabbits that did that, actually, but I've no idea really if chickens will).

We're in the same boat here with the heat. I am afraid it is only going to get worse. You can get some early seasonal outlooks for Australia from: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/ (full disclosure - I work for the Bureau of Meteorology). We are going to get more frequent, longer periods of intense heat, so it's cost effective looking at a permanent solution.

 

[AussieChics]

For some animals I've also used large concrete blocks in deep shade (under a coop, etc), which allows a bird to spread out and dump some of the heat.  It works for rabbits too.  A deep, recessed dust bowl for them to dust bathe in, in deep shade, also helps.  Planting fast growing shady vegetation close to the run will help long term, and it will change the micro climate a tiny bit.  

Keep multiple containers of water in the run, so as the sun moves, there will always be a container in the shade.

Get rid of droppings as fast as possible (like anyone wants to be raking a chicken run in the heat, ugh!), because the decomposition adds to heat at the ground level if the chickens are lying there to get cool.

I've heard some people will freeze half a watermelon to toss in there, but, I can't fit that in my freezer!

If the chickens dig holes in the dust, that's fine - put some water in them, and they might bathe in it (I had rabbits that did that, actually, but I've no idea really if chickens will).

We're in the same boat here with the heat.  I am afraid it is only going to get worse.  You can get some early seasonal outlooks for Australia from: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/ (full disclosure - I work for the Bureau of Meteorology).  We are going to get more frequent, longer periods of intense heat, so it's cost effective looking at a permanent solution.

Thank you thats very helpful. I have some tubs of soup in my work freezer from winter I'll take home as needed for them. They have 1 part thats constantly in the shade but right where my tin shed is. Hence the sprinklers. Unfortunately no trees so thinking some shade cloth. As for the ground after I wet it they go nuts dust bathing in the mud and finding bugs.

very helpful thank you

 

[Aliraza40]

I was wrong, it has a Briggs engine...
I wonder what we own 642-457 exam that has the Honda engine?