Cooling my chicks off?

[coldinnh]

Will my girls 'know' to going wading?
Or run through a sprinkler?!

 

[chuckzoo]

I tried a flower pot saucer with water in for mine to wade in but alas they just ignored it, even when I dipped their feet in it. I have read here that some peoples chicken use it but I don't know how to get them started!

 

[PortageGirl]

No, and probably won't by choice. Try getting a very fine mist with a spray nozzle and spreading treats around the edges and into it, but really, they don't like it much. Some figure it out, some don't.

There's only so much you can do.

 

[ChooksChick]

This comes up all summer so I wrote an article on my 5 favorite ways of cooling them off: The heat and your chickens

 

[coldinnh]

Thanks - I tried frozen jugs - no interest. I hate to see my girls in distress.

 

[nelgkel]

Quote:
you could try putting a small container in the middle of the saucer with some frozen treats(blueberries, watermelon,)...will entice them to enjoy the cool wading pool...LOL

 

[featherz]

Mine do NOT like the frozen two liter bottles. Not sure why! They peck at the labels then go sit elsewhere.

I put one near the 'hole' they were sitting in to keep cool and they all moved somewhere else.

Ah well. I've wet the ground down and the ground has water pans everywhere plus frozen berries and broccoli. And a fan. Anyone know, are younger birds better with heat as they are smaller bodied and less feathered or are they worse off since they are younger? Mine are 9.5 weeks old and fully feathered but still obviously not full grown.

they are currently only panting occasionally. Strangely enough, one insists on roosting up on a bar which is more than likely hotter than the ground and that one pants the most.

I think that one's gonna end up a roo.

I don't worry about them too much yet - about 5PM the sun will be in a position to hit the coop/run (I have plywood blocking the sun so they will still have shade) and that's when the run heats up and I"ll go into battle mode.

 

[coldinnh]

I dipped one's feet yesterday and one would pf thouhgt I putting in her a stew. I will try the frozen treats (Hubby will not be happy with my buying more treats for the chickens) and will try freezing some .... lettuce (? it will be soggy but- what the heck) and corn ,etc?...

 

[pkw]

When I had ducks, I dug out a huge duck pond by shovel. My chickens walked along the outer edges all the time both to cool down and to drink the water (even though they had their own waterers)

 

[chuckzoo]

Quote:
you could try putting a small container in the middle of the saucer with some frozen treats(blueberries, watermelon,)...will entice them to enjoy the cool wading pool...LOL

Thanks! I'll try that!