Chickens+Heat+Fans??

GracieNut

In the Brooder
9 Years
Jun 14, 2010
59
11
41
Spotsylvania
OK, so it is HOT today, and is going to be HOT today, so my husband was kind enough to set up the box fan with an extension cord at the front of the coop, so it's blowing (on the lowest setting) across the coop near the door (they can get out of it if they want, it's not blowing "into" the coop so that they are forced to sit in the breeze). Anyway, I posted this on FB as my status, and a friend of mine insisted that this was a bad idea as they don't like drafts and that I should have the fan situated so that it is sucking air out instead of blowing air in? My chickens live outside, they do fine on windy days, I don't understand the difference? Anyway, the high where I am today is supposed to be 101, with a heat index of 116. Isn't a "draft" what they need today? Again, it's not blowing ON them, it's blowing across the pen at the front end of the pen. Does anyone agree with her? Me? Advice? Is the fan a bad idea? Should it suck air out instead of blowing in? See pic...

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Don't listen to your friend. Drafts are more of an issue in the winter if you ask me. Also the way you have it situated in your run they do not have to be in the breeze at all. You are just fine.
 
The heat index here has been around 115 for the last four days. I put a fan in the window of my coop (blowing into the coop). They congregate around the fan and don't move all day long, even piling on top of one another to be the one closest to the fan. Happy chickens in the breeze
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I have a fan set at the highest setting right on them inside their little coop, they love it. I also have 3 fans blowing in the run. Had hubby hang a box fan pointing straight down from the ceiling to the floor and the others are for some cross breeze. I'm about 16 miles from the the DC Capital and we are expected to hit 118 with the heat index today. I've got electrolytes in the water that I change several times a day as well. I also have been giving them lots of cold veggies/fruit throughout the day. I wish I could do more for them, I just know they are miserable. Poor girls.
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This heat wave is supposed to be over by Sunday. I hope I don't loose any!
 
Thanks everyone! They do seem to be enjoying it. They all have their butts up to it, and their butt feathers are all being blown about. LOL. They really are enjoying it, so I'm glad I did it. I feel so bad for them too. If my husband would let me, they'd all be in my basement today and tomorrow. LOL
 
I have a floor fan - puts out way more air than a box fan and we keep it on medium or high throughout the day. My chickens either lay in a pile right in front of it or roost in the chairs next to it. It blows hard enough that they stagger a bit as they walk by, but I really don't see them panting much anymore. I live near Houston, so we've got not only high temperatures, but also high humidity and no breeze (downside of lots of trees). I have to limit MY time outside so I don't get heat exhaustion, since I'm prone to it.
 

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