Battling Extreme Desert Heat

[Mutt Farm]

Hello from So California! Living close to Palm Springs, extreme DRY heat is a constant. 95-108 isn't rare. I was hoping to start a thread specific to HOT arid conditions and chicken keeping during a drought. Keeping happy chickens. I'm envious of foliage and green grasses and the bugs. Other than an occasional ant or earwig, we have no bugs. Even our weeds die by May. We are on severe water restrictions due to extreme drought, so misters aren't an option. This is my first year with chickens. I'm using frozen water bottles and a fan, shade. Cold fruit. I'm a prisoner to the farm when it's hot. I hope folks have great ideas on how to keep the ladies cool and how to provide greens and bugs and stuff without this being a full time job. Surely there are others struggling with this?

 

[IceAngel]

If you have any condos, trailer parks or town houses in your area, perhaps you can ask the maintenance manager if you could hand out compost bags (if that isn't already done in your area). Perhaps you can think of an incentive like giving away a dozen eggs from time to time. Your chickens will love the compost and it will attract bugs. The downside is that you will have to pick it up regularly before the garbage man gets to it.
Alternatively you can befriend the produce manager at your local grocery store and find out when they set out their spoiling produce.

 

[Mutt Farm]

I'm somewhat rural by Ca standards, but your idea to check with the local grocer is great! I have a few veggies in the garden for them but not much variety. Also good to offer to swap fruits and veggies for eggs. My friends are waiting for fresh eggs! Thanks!

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Well, I live in a northern swamp, so I have no experience with temps that high! But I will give my two cents anyway.

Shade, shade, shade! Get some poles of some sort and lay a sheet/tarp/etc. over it. Your hens will really appreciate being able to get out of the sun.

And two, there is a project of reforestation in Africa. Because the Sahara has been growing, people are reversing this, creating oasises. I think it is a long-term process, and am not sure how feasible doing it on a small scale is, but maybe look into it? I don't know how it is done, but they have made huge forests in what used to be nothing but sand. I imagine they use a lot of compost and drought-tolerant trees at first to make it shady and retain moisture... and these forests grow edible fruit, so people can live in them. It's very neat, you should look it up.

 

[magdelaine]

What I've been doing, and it's working pretty well, is attack it on a couple of fronts.

First, feed wet/fermented higher protein feed. I take whole bags of Turkey grower/game bird feed and cover it with water. Within a day or so it "sours" and the chickens love it. They go nuts as soon as I open the barrel because they can smell it (and it does smell). For extra essential oils and vitamins I add in bird seed, which they also love. They extra water in the feed makes dealing with the heat easier on them, and the higher protein makes up for a lack of bugs and things to forage. You may want to ferment smaller batches; you'll want to go through a batch within two weeks.

Second, on the subject of green stuff, I do keep a bale of alfalfa in the run. It last a couple of months, keeps them busy, and provides them with the greens they lack in the desert.

Third, definitely shade. I cannot believe what a difference it makes for them. My runs always have a solid fence to the south to help with shade, then I take pallets and lean them up against the fence. I weave empty feed bags through the bars and they have more shade to get under if they need to.

Fourth, provide them with a shallow pool to dip their feet in if possible. They can cool down quickly by wetting their feet. I place rocks in my little kiddie pool for them to stand on and I see them use it all the time.

Fifth, misters. In the dry desert heat, a little mister system can work wonders and bring down the temps on the hottest days.

Sixth, wet ground. In the morning before it gets really hot on those days that I know will be difficult, I make sure to really soak the ground under the pallets and in other areas where they hang out in the shade. They will dig down to get to cooler dirt and this helps tremendously. They can deal with the heat as long as they can get to cooler ground.

So I hope this helps! I just this summer implemented most of these things and I'm happy with how well they've been doing...including laying regularly...even in the heat. Hubby to install misters soon...

 

[IceAngel]

What I've been doing, and it's working pretty well, is attack it on a couple of fronts.

First, feed wet/fermented higher protein feed. I take whole bags of Turkey grower/game bird feed and cover it with water. Within a day or so it "sours" and the chickens love it. They go nuts as soon as I open the barrel because they can smell it (and it does smell). For extra essential oils and vitamins I add in bird seed, which they also love. They extra water in the feed makes dealing with the heat easier on them, and the higher protein makes up for a lack of bugs and things to forage. You may want to ferment smaller batches; you'll want to go through a batch within two weeks.

Second, on the subject of green stuff, I do keep a bale of alfalfa in the run. It last a couple of months, keeps them busy, and provides them with the greens they lack in the desert.

Third, definitely shade. I cannot believe what a difference it makes for them. My runs always have a solid fence to the south to help with shade, then I take pallets and lean them up against the fence. I weave empty feed bags through the bars and they have more shade to get under if they need to.

Fourth, provide them with a shallow pool to dip their feet in if possible. They can cool down quickly by wetting their feet. I place rocks in my little kiddie pool for them to stand on and I see them use it all the time.

Fifth, misters. In the dry desert heat, a little mister system can work wonders and bring down the temps on the hottest days.

Sixth, wet ground. In the morning before it gets really hot on those days that I know will be difficult, I make sure to really soak the ground under the pallets and in other areas where they hang out in the shade. They will dig down to get to cooler dirt and this helps tremendously. They can deal with the heat as long as they can get to cooler ground.

So I hope this helps! I just this summer implemented most of these things and I'm happy with how well they've been doing...including laying regularly...even in the heat. Hubby to install misters soon...

AWESOME SUGGESTIONS!

 

[stevethack]

It's now 95F deg outside with a heat index of 114.. warmish!. It was 99F earlier though. About 9am this morning I took a hose and wet down the place the biddies lay in mostly in the hotter afternoons. It's also one of their dustbath areas in heavy afternoon shade, really close to the coop.(for dozing off and safety purposes?). They have been laying and flopping around in that area since about 1pm cdt..They just have gotten up and about. They drink a lot of water. I try to keep the nipple waterers filled by about 1-2pm for cooler water for the afternoon in anything warmer then 92F or so. I sometimes put ice cubes in theor waterers too. Thinking about buying a small kiddie wading pool for them too.....summer heat has just started. At least the humidity is finally dropping from high 80+ percent.
It's amazing how smart a "bird-brain" can be to stay reasonably comfortable if we just help them out a bit.
Now if someone can just explain to me why they still go up into the coop to roost and nap when it is soooo hot sometimes.. It certainly looks like it would be warmer inside then out. But there's a good air exchange inside the coop. I guess I did good there.

 

[IceAngel]

Their feathers act as an insulator from cold and heat. So they probably suffer less than us in that environment. If you can't get away to buy that kiddy pool, why not dig out a little hollow in the dirt and line it with plastic garbage bags. You will have to put rocks on top of the garbage bags or they will float.

 

[stevethack]

I put about 4 bushels a week of fresh grass clippings in the pen for them... The chickens used to run away from the mower when it came close. Now they run right up to the fence when I drive the big noisy machine up next to the fence.. They also just sit down in the clipping after they get their fill...probably cooler since there's still dew on the grass a little. But those clipping when dry are light..and would be all up in the "pool"..using plastic bags is out..I would have to empty it every couple days..probably not for the chickens...but for my own preferences..But that's a good idea for a temp pool for a tractor type setup.. I'll just spray them a cool off spot when it's so hot...and since I'm going right by Fred's or Sollar Store I will pick one up tomorrow.. It's goin fishin time for me..lol

 

[Mutt Farm]

@magdelaine Thank you for taking the time to provide such great expert advice! So fermented feed? I just googled it. Makes so much sense! Turkey grower or game bird is OK for my young layers? (20 weeks)?
Bird seed makes sense as well. I used to raise canaries. So wild bird mix?
I have alfalfa here for the horses. That's easy. I was only giving leftover leaves 1X/week. They'll get a flake now.
I have lg area of very deep shade. I hung a tarp.
I took out the wading tray from the coop (12X16 barn stall), worried about bacteria. I can put it in their run and wet that area.
No misters here, Water Co raping me each month already!

@stevethack I've been putting frozen H2O bottles in their waterers. Just ordered nipples and 2 round construction coolers to retrofit for cold H2O x 3 days. I'll let ya know how that works. I'll try wetting the run, but we're on such severe water restrictions! My water bill is insane!
@IceAngel I'll try a shallow pool outside. I had one inside, but they pooped in it. I was worried about bacteria and disease.
Thank you all 3 for the great ideas!
We had CRAZY rain and storms here this weekend.