Cool idea for dealing with extreme heat

[tufty68]

I live in Georgia and this week we have beat our all time record highs set back in 1836. It's flippin hot!!! The high so far at our house has been 107 degrees with about a billion percent humidity. Yikes!

I have 32 young pullets and have scoured the web looking for ways to keep the girls cool. At the moment they are living in a dog kennel in our garage while we refurbish an old shed for them. Even though I was able to open the main garage door, with the humidity and lack of much wind they are still very hot. I have placed a fan at one corner which they love, but everyone is still panting.

So I started thinking about evaporative cooling... on the cheap. I pulled out 4 old pillow cases that I was ok to toss and soaked them in ice water. I then placed one in each corner of the pen where they typically hang out. They loved it, and it made a HUGE difference. They all crowded onto the pillow cases and most laid right down on the cool fabric.

As long as the pillowcases are wet I don't see any of them panting, even those not on the pillowcases. The evaporation in general cools the ambient air. In this heat I have been soaking the cases 2-3 times a day. They do tend to bury them while scratching, but it's not a big deal. I will toss these once the heat wave is over.

If anyone tries this be sure NOT to use bath towels. Chickens will pick and pull the fibers. Pick something smooth like the pillowcases.

 

[mnferalkitty]

I have also placed frozen water jusgs where they like to lay and they lay around them, and I place frozen jugs in front of the fan and it creates a cool area

 

[dawg53]

I use box fans in the pens and smaller fans inside the coops to circulate air. The fans inside the coops blow air out the rear vent while fresh air is sucked in through the side vents. There isnt any direct air flow on the chickens while they are sleeping at night. We're pretty much used to this heat and humidity each summer, but I have to admit that it seems to be getting worse each summer especially sooner and longer in duration. August and September arnt here yet....ugh!

 

[buttonhead]

Like Kitty, I've also been using frozen water jugs.

I also put a big chunk of ice in their water in the morning before I leave for work. So far, so good... it's been disgustingly hot here in MD.

 

[eamoret]

Mine have been so hot here they have stopped drinking water and just wander around aimlessly. I actually decided to hose them down, which they hated, but it seemed to help. Once I got them cooled down they started eating and drinking again. I put ice in the water and gave them a few nice, cold pieces of watermelon from the fridge. They loved it! We've done alright battling the heat with them here in Virginia, and it's been up around 102.

 

[kmatt87]

i got a mister and put it on the run. When its on it has lowered the temp in there a good 15 degrees. Its been hitting 105 here already and it makes a huge diff for them. I also give frozen fruits and veggies as treats

 

[TXchickmum]

We constructed coops for optimum ventilation since our summers are brutal. -placed them under a large red oak tree. During the day, I change the water every two hours (adding ice). -keep a pitcher of cold water in the fridge with which to fill the waterers. Also, I place a large fan in front of each coop/run. -have a mister that is suspended from one of the oak branches. The fans circulate the air and blow the mist toward the chickens. Even with a temp of 104 last week, they seemed to be comfortable and content to lounge in front of the mist. My daughter takes them some cool fruit treats every afternoon, as well. They love cold grapes! I think that I will try the pillow cases/evaporative cooling. This sounds like a great idea! Thanks for sharing!!