California - Northern

[gryeyes]

My misting system is fed by a hose with a leak in it, so there is also a spray curving over the ground and wetting a good section of dirt area. The mist evaporates before it hits the ground but it's still cools the air. Almost everybody has been digging their cool, damp fox-holes.

Kevin the Free Peacock is still here. Sometimes he is under the deck in the shade with the senior group of birds, sometimes he's on top of the pergola IN the mist, sometimes he goes into the coop to eat.

I have been inside most of the day where my poor little window A/C unit is struggling to keep the living room around 80 degrees.

When I was outside refilling waterers, I didn't mind getting splash back. A couple of times I just doused myself with the hose.

 

[chiqita]

I was not a bleacher until I had chickens. I remember the hullaboo when people went to a bycers house and brought back germs. Her chickens were ( and are) fine but that doss not mean the other persons birds were fine with whatever.

That decided me on being vigilant about my shoes clothes and chicken poo.

 

[stylies50]

What are u folks doing to keep them cool today? Could use some advise it pretty warm out.

 

[gryeyes]

What are u folks doing to keep them cool today? Could use some advise it pretty warm out.

Welcome to BYC from wine country in the Western Sierra Foothills! Also welcome to the NorCal thread!

I put up a misting system outside (attached to my pergola) for the chickens, sprayed water on the dirt to make it cooler for them, and put frozen water bottles in the coop for them to lean against if they choose. I've had a fan on in the coop for the past two weeks.

 

[Nikon]

The humidity is a lower that it was a couple of days ago here, but it is still bloody hot.

We have the misters hooked up to a battery powered timer (it's been a real blessing working at a hardware store since we got chickens!) and they have the auto waterer now. When I got home the Ameraucana roo was droopy and panting so I uh... took the hose and chased the flock around the run.

Question:

Obviously panting means they're hot. We're all miserable. But how do you know when they are really doing bad and need help? A couple of times I've seen a chicken slump its wings forward and pant for a few min but then stop. And what can you do?

 

[OR4-hmom]

What are u folks doing to keep them cool today? Could use some advise it pretty warm out.

I wet the ground down some in their runs this morning before I had to leave. I put frozen water bottles in the waterers-no lids on the bottles. I try and have something like watermelons or cucumbers on hand, high water content treat. I've put fans in the coops to try and keep the ladies cooler in the nest boxes. Misters are great also.

 

[chiqita]

I dipped a few girls in cold water today. Buffy the hatchery orphington does not take heat all that well. Last year I had to put her in the cool basement and put ice on her butt a few times.

Bow the whole coop is in the basement and stays very cool. But do they go back there?? Noooooo

 

[debs_flock]

The humidity is a lower that it was a couple of days ago here, but it is still bloody hot.

We have the misters hooked up to a battery powered timer (it's been a real blessing working at a hardware store since we got chickens!) and they have the auto waterer now. When I got home the Ameraucana roo was droopy and panting so I uh... took the hose and chased the flock around the run.

Question:

Obviously panting means they're hot. We're all miserable. But how do you know when they are really doing bad and need help? A couple of times I've seen a chicken slump its wings forward and pant for a few min but then stop. And what can you do?

I went around and thoroughly wet down all my runs today (wet sand) and sprayed down the outside walls and roofs of all the coops. Most of the birds moved away from the spray, then came running to the ground ground when I moved to the next pen. All except one RIR hen, she stood in the water spray and never moved, she got a good dowsing. I did lose one bird yesterday, she had looked fine in the morning, so I'm assuming it was the heat.

When they stand with their wings out from their bodies and pant, I can relate, I think I've done that a time or two myself.

Answer, keep the run wet down, offer as much shade as possible (maybe hang shade cloth on the side of the run), use a fan, offer cold food (melon, etc), ice bottles, ice bottle in their water source, if you don't have too many chickens and they are really bad off, bring them into the house..........

 

[debs_flock]

Oh, #1 answer, move to a coastal area in Washington state....................maybe an island.....................I can dream!

 

[Grandmas Basket]

What are u folks doing to keep them cool today? Could use some advise it pretty warm out.

During 100+ days, I lightly mist the inside of the coop right before the girls retire. Have good ventilation and a wire floor, but the roost is high in the coop where it is slightly hotter. I found that the little extra of misting inside and a quick pass over the exterior seems to reduce or eliminate panting once they settle in. Coop is under a tree, which also helps. Photo taken at sundown tonight - chicks and I are breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that we are closer to eventual cooling (to think that 90's temps lookin' good!).