cooling off your chickens

[ClucksAndCombs]

I live in upper New England with cold winters and decently hot summers. Most summers are more or less 80 and every so often we get a 90*F day. Only problem is most of my flock are EEs. What I’ve done over the years is dunking the chickens up their belly and washing their feet and bum. Every chicken is generally okay besides an EE who is terrified of water. I mean won’t even get her feet wet.
I also have a carport sort of design covering half their run meant for snow but it does the job.Over the years under the coop itself is a popular summer hideout. They have plenty of water buckets spreaded along the run and one in the coop.
I know the Chicken Chick has a ton of summer treats for them- the smoothie is my favorite. I usually make one myself with frozen bananas, strawberries and blueberries and we can share it . Put a spoonful on a plate and they’ll be picking at it for hours.
I do let them free range for a bit in the heat as I know greens have plenty of water for them and will keep the scuffles away. My one year old EEs are in a big fight and results in missing muffs and beards. Nothing more, though- the older hens are generally keeping out of it. I bet the missing muffs keep them cooler haha.

 

[2hotchicks]

I like to throw an ear of corn in the freezer. My girls love it, they peck it a few times as soon as i give it to them, then about 5 mins later when it has softened just enough they destroy it. They live watermelon as well.

My ladies also enjoy frozen corn

It's very hot in GA today, the only one that seems to mind it is my brown leghorn. They have a tarp cover pvc tractor wit the ends open in the direction of the wind. every hour i add ice to their water, I put a pan of shallow water with in it for her, I even made a berry smoothie. the leghorn just walked through the smoothie and no one is really taking advantage of anything but the water. I do not have shade and I think I need to get a fan. what fan setups do you all have? Is there a fan you really like and works well? I was maybe wanting one with a light too, and a clip for their coop. What set ups and what do you all do to get them to enjoy their treats> So far, I think my chickens are from another planet, they don't even like lettuce!

I have 2 chickens & it's terribly hot here in southern Indiana. I have been freezing gallon milk jugs. We got no heat relief through the night & one of the ladies slept off the roost bar up against the frozen jug. These jugs take up a lot of freezer space so it may not be a reasonable option if you have a large flock. We're hoping for rain!

 

[Lilokieescorter]

My ladies also enjoy frozen corn

I have 2 chickens & it's terribly hot here in southern Indiana. I have been freezing gallon milk jugs. We got no heat relief through the night & one of the ladies slept off the roost bar up against the frozen jug. These jugs take up a lot of freezer space so it may not be a reasonable option if you have a large flock. We're hoping for rain!

I thought about freezing small gatorade bottles & placing them in their water to cool

 

[Lilokieescorter]

Wetting their food isn't a treat... She asked about feeding frozen watermelon every hour to very young chickens.

Mine go Nuts for frozen watermelon & cukes!

 

[Clarence62]

Mine don’t eat watermelon or peaches. I freeze corn and they love that.
I have struggled to find a solution in this 100deg heat. I have them“free ranging” outside the coop. (Still in fenced area). Then I put down a large cookie tray filled with ice water and a few meal worms. they LOVED it! Ate the worms and lots of water for hydration. 1/2 inch of water was just enough for it not to be scary. Also have a fan running over it. I refill it a few times a day to make sure they stay cool. Happy cool birds.

 

[sayccrn]

My ladies also enjoy frozen corn

I have 2 chickens & it's terribly hot here in southern Indiana. I have been freezing gallon milk jugs. We got no heat relief through the night & one of the ladies slept off the roost bar up against the frozen jug. These jugs take up a lot of freezer space so it may not be a reasonable option if you have a large flock. We're hoping for rain!

I only have 5, but no room in the freezer for jugs. It's going to be almost 100 here today. I pray I can keep them alive.

 

[sayccrn]

Mine don’t eat watermelon or peaches. I freeze corn and they love that.
I have struggled to find a solution in this 100deg heat. I have them“free ranging” outside the coop. (Still in fenced area). Then I put down a large cookie tray filled with ice water and a few meal worms. they LOVED it! Ate the worms and lots of water for hydration. 1/2 inch of water was just enough for it not to be scary. Also have a fan running over it. I refill it a few times a day to make sure they stay cool. Happy cool birds.

Pretty much what I do too.

 

[sayccrn]

Mine go Nuts for frozen watermelon & cukes!

Mine do now. and their food gets wet when I mist them.

 

[sayccrn]

I thought about freezing small gatorade bottles & placing them in their water to cool

I do. I freeze old vitamin bottles and put it in their water, it helps a lot. That's about as much as I can freeze in my tiny freezer.

 

[sayccrn]

I live in upper New England with cold winters and decently hot summers. Most summers are more or less 80 and every so often we get a 90*F day. Only problem is most of my flock are EEs. What I’ve done over the years is dunking the chickens up their belly and washing their feet and bum. Every chicken is generally okay besides an EE who is terrified of water. I mean won’t even get her feet wet.
I also have a carport sort of design covering half their run meant for snow but it does the job.Over the years under the coop itself is a popular summer hideout. They have plenty of water buckets spreaded along the run and one in the coop.
I know the Chicken Chick has a ton of summer treats for them- the smoothie is my favorite. I usually make one myself with frozen bananas, strawberries and blueberries and we can share it . Put a spoonful on a plate and they’ll be picking at it for hours.
I do let them free range for a bit in the heat as I know greens have plenty of water for them and will keep the scuffles away. My one year old EEs are in a big fight and results in missing muffs and beards. Nothing more, though- the older hens are generally keeping out of it. I bet the missing muffs keep them cooler haha.

probably so. I cannot let them free range with my ordinances, plus I have hawks that already swoop down on the birdfeeder.