cooling off your chickens

[Eggscaping]

I think my chicks are still too young to appreciate real food. they do not touch anything I try to offer them. They don't have a clue what to do with it all. I mean what chicken doesn't like lettuce, peas, berries, corn?

Have you tried doing the thing where you make your hand like a chicken head (put all your fingers together so it's like a chicken head with a 'beak') and then had the 'chicken head' peck madly at whatever new food you're showing them? Also, find a mama chicken showing her chicks how to peck at food on YouTube and let them hear the mama hen encouragement sounds on your cell phone at the same time you are making the 'chicken head' peck at the food?
I know that all sounds pretty wacky, but it did get some of our babies to take a few bites of something new, and when one or two did it the others gave it a shot too.
The most hysterical thing of all is when they grab something and everyone else focuses on that one chick and so it tears off running with the food item in its mouth, but doesn't really know what to do with it but BY GOD EVERYONE ELSE WANTS THIS THING SO I WILL KEEP IT AT ALL COSTS!

 

[sayccrn]

My husband actually started saving our 16oz and liter soda bottles and filling them half full only, freezing and exchanges them out throughout the day. He just removed the original top traditional water can and it's a breeze to keep you both cool.I was killing myself..lol!

I don't have those containers, don't drink soda. and even if I did, there is absolutely no room for bottle. I already have to squeez the fruit I am freezing between things to get it in there. It's so small and it's on the bottom and I literately have to sit down on the floor to get in the icecube tray!

 

[sayccrn]

Have you tried doing the thing where you make your hand like a chicken head (put all your fingers together so it's like a chicken head with a 'beak') and then had the 'chicken head' peck madly at whatever new food you're showing them? Also, find a mama chicken showing her chicks how to peck at food on YouTube and let them hear the mama hen encouragement sounds on your cell phone at the same time you are making the 'chicken head' peck at the food?
I know that all sounds pretty wacky, but it did get some of our babies to take a few bites of something new, and when one or two did it the others gave it a shot too.
The most hysterical thing of all is when they grab something and everyone else focuses on that one chick and so it tears off running with the food item in its mouth, but doesn't really know what to do with it but BY GOD EVERYONE ELSE WANTS THIS THING SO I WILL KEEP IT AT ALL COSTS!

Right? Actually my smaller chicks are teaching my bigger chicks. They are much more trusting of the food I put out and will try it first, then the two bigger ones do just that: "Hey! Wait! What are you eating? Save some for me!!!!"

 

[Aunt Angus]

Have you tried doing the thing where you make your hand like a chicken head (put all your fingers together so it's like a chicken head with a 'beak') and then had the 'chicken head' peck madly at whatever new food you're showing them? Also, find a mama chicken showing her chicks how to peck at food on YouTube and let them hear the mama hen encouragement sounds on your cell phone at the same time you are making the 'chicken head' peck at the food?
I know that all sounds pretty wacky, but it did get some of our babies to take a few bites of something new, and when one or two did it the others gave it a shot too.
The most hysterical thing of all is when they grab something and everyone else focuses on that one chick and so it tears off running with the food item in its mouth, but doesn't really know what to do with it but BY GOD EVERYONE ELSE WANTS THIS THING SO I WILL KEEP IT AT ALL COSTS!

I have done exactly this and tidbitted like a rooster before to get them to eat new stuff! Sometimes it works. Sometimes I just frighten my family.

 

[sayccrn]

I have done exactly this and tidbitted like a rooster before to get them to eat new stuff! Sometimes it works. Sometimes I just frighten my family.

I think it will be easier once I get their enclosure all set up. Right now, in order to be on their same plane I have to crawl inside their tractor. POOP! Not doing that! lol

 

[Aunt Angus]

I think it will be easier once I get their enclosure all set up. Right now, in order to be on their same plane I have to crawl inside their tractor. POOP! Not doing that! lol

Ew. Yeah, no.

 

[RebeccaRN]

Thank you! I have done all of this. It's only the one chick, and they don't seem to know what to do with anything. They won't wade, they won't eat their treats. I had to chase her around with the garden house every hour yesterday, now they are all scared of me.

I put a misting hose on their fenced in area, that really seems to help. I live in Oklahoma and the heat & humidity are ungodly

 

[RebeccaRN]

I don't use a fan in my coop so I have no help there. We live in Texas and the heat is brutal here too. I just try to give plenty of shade and water. If they are scared of the hose maybe you can spray the ground first then move the tractor onto the colder wet spot?

I bought 2 small but powerful fans that also have lights plus a larger fan that I clip on their window. That are all chargeable fans and I only use them at night in their coop. I bought them on amazon. The 2 small ones can hang or set flat

 

[B40chick]

At Rural King I saw some misters. They should be for setting up around a lounge chair to keep air cooler. I considered buying one and putting near the run, but my girls have lots of shady places to get

 

[RebeccaRN]

At Rural King I saw some misters. They should be for setting up around a lounge chair to keep air cooler. I considered buying one and putting near the run, but my girls have lots of shady places to get

I bought a miters hose and put it around the top of part of their fenced in yard. It really seems to help in this humidity