cooling off your chickens

[sayccrn]

I live in Michigan and we are in the middle of a heat wave. I freeze a gallon of water overnight. Leave it sealed and put it in with my 3 gallon water in the morning. I love it.

My freezer is not big enough. But I did take an old vitamin jar and freeze water in that. It does help! and Bless it! They discovered watermelon water yesterday and finally drank it towards the end of the day. Once they started they drank the whole thing! This is the first food they actually ate!

 

[sayccrn]

I ended up putting an ez-up over the run to provide shade. I also added a box fan at ground level that blows across the floor of the run and a pole fan that blows into the coop when it's extremely hot outside. I've also set frozen bottles of water in the ground near the box fan and some of the girls go lay next to them to stay cool. Others like to stand on ice cubes to cool their feet, which helps cool their bodies. They also get grapes cut in half and frozen in ice cube trays filled with water. This give them something to do while it also cools them off when they eat the ice and grapes. Watermelon and frozen chopped grapes are always a hit with my girls too.

They finally decided to try the watermelon! they love it! That's the first peoplw food they've eaten.

 

[sayccrn]

I really like your idea with the frozen water bottles! I have a bunch of 2 litter bottles and gallon jugs I could use. Great idea! Thanks

oh yes! I do too. I have a fan on order, it won't be here for a few weeks yet.

 

[sayccrn]

I almost lost my favorite roo at 7weeks to surprise heat in June. Weather man said 90 and I think it crept to 96 that day. my tiny Bandit heat stroked out on me.(I got this close to letting him go) I have this laser gun thermometer I should be using all the time it’s hot. my GRASSY areas in the sun were peaking at 107 by the time I checked. They had 12x12 area with tree cover which has since been expanded. The expansion has aluminet shade cloth 70% and I have that doubled over. I hose the lawn in their run, the privacy fence that faces them, the shade cloth, coop, them, which they hate, but immediately I get chickens that act like happy chickens for about an hour. Ice the water and keep them topped. Feeding very early and very late besides frozen watery snacks.View attachment 2226264View attachment 2226262

I'm so sorry, that happened to you. It does get very hot in my yard , and the only shade they have is the tarp over their tractor. I found that whatever I do, lasts about an hour too, so I have been going out every hour and giving them ice, watermelon, frozen bottles, frozen veggies, spraying them down. I do this all afternoon til the sun goes back around the other side of the house about 430, then i move their tractor to a tiny strip of shade from the porch.

 

[sayccrn]

Don't know how well misters work in your humidity, but here, with it often in the single digits, they work fine. We have five of the "Cobra" by Orbit. Also have 7 of an 8 quart rubberized feed dishes filled with water scattered around which they enjoy, but prefer the spilled water which make the most wonderful mud puddles.
You will find that shade cloth works much better than tarps. It allows the air to circulate. Go for at least the 80% blockage.

shade cloth, like for the garden? It does get hot under there, but not as hot as in the sun, and they stay under it. I have found a way to prop up the sides to get the breeze in, and when I go out every hour I also spray the tarp , ground and up under the tarp on the underneath. that helps too, and it 'rains' don on the them too.

 

[sayccrn]

My 2 cents worth. I am newbie here and to raising chickens BUT the people here are awesome and spot on with their advice. I have basically 2 flocks ...flock 1 is going to be a year old September 13th and doesn't like any or at least most of the treats that most suggest now the second flock was born well 1 was born the end of January the next 2 born February 10th and the last 2 the 6 or 7th of March and they eat EVERYTHING. The mud puddle idea is a great idea. ALL 10 of my girls like "misters" to wander through and around them. I have 2 cooled watering systems but they love a low sided pan(where they wash their feet) they love to drink from. All I can say is provide them clean fresh as you can water and they will drink it. Our go to treats are grapes cut into 1/4s, raisins,yogurt with scratch mixed in, yogurt with fresh diced tomatoes, diced fresh tomatoes, watermelon and corn on the cob. I hope this helps...use any ventilation fan you can afford...any moving air is good. Refine your fan situation as time permits. I live in south Texas and know exactly what you are talking. The only thing I can say is shade is the best defense but if you use a plastic tarp be sure it is tall as possible or it becomes an oven quickly, a camouflage netting is a good choice as it allows air flow and offers shade also.

Thank you, great advice. I do also have a pan of cool water, when I go out and refill their ice, I also put more ice there. They haven't used it yet. They have only just started drinking the melted watermelon water. Whic I am grateful for. they still don't touch anything else I do, and I end up having to chase the one it effects the most, around with a hose, basically misting her. Which she hates, then loves, and that too lasts about an hour. Camouflage netting. amazon?

 

[sayccrn]

View attachment 2225982I bought these BIG planter bottoms off Amazon that I use for wading pools. I live in Arizona, it’s supposed to be 111 on Sunday. You have to keep trying the fresh stuff. Try cold strawberries. Cold pasta! Trust me. I heard too much lettuce can get stuck in their crops so I avoid it. I do kale and spinach. My girls were afraid of fresh foods at first (hatch date was May 4th). I have Conures and just kind of went with what I know is safe for them.
I go out three times a day (every day) and check to make sure their water is clean (which means I change it every time), but I also will wet down their run ( it’s dry by the end of the day here). I also use gardeners shade clothe to cover and provide shade over their run. Best of luck to you and your girls! Stay cool!

Thank you! I like the idea of those plates. Right now I am using my cake pan, that I basically only use for turkey once a year! lol They stay away from it, once In a while they will drink from it, but not wade. But maybe I will get one for a dustbowel, as they are now digging little hole and thrashing their fluffy little butts around in it. It's so cute, but those hole are hell on my ankles!

 

[sayccrn]

I put corn and other things with a bit of water into muffin trays and freeze it. I keep all the frozen ones in a freezer bag so I can make several batches. My 12wk old chicks are starting to learn to like things. They prefer the ones I make with scratch in it. They don’t understand corn yet either. The good thing is, I can just keep the ones they don’t like in the freezer until they’re older. I also freeze watermelon rind. They go WILD over that. I haven’t thought to give them a pool. I’ll have to try that out.

I did put the rind in the freezer yesterday, so today they should have that. But I don't have room for much else in there. It's a fight every time I go to get something. I hate my freezer, t's on the bottom, and not a chest, that pulls out, but a cage draw on the bottom and a tiny shelf on the top. I literately have to sit on the floor to dig through it. hate it!

 

[sayccrn]

Try watermelon cubes puree watermelon put in muffin pan and freeze mine love it

That was it! That worked, it only took them all day and me wasting hlf a watermelon, but they got it right before sunset! First thing they've eaten of what I give them! Thanks so much!

 

[Karalyn]

Here in TX it gets quite hot. I have an 8’x8’ area of the run that is covered and allows for shade, there is also a mesquite tree and an old coop that they huddle under for shade inside their run (a 40’x40’ fenced in area). But the coolest addition is the pvc misting system my husband installed. It’s mounted about 7’ up, around the shaded area and is on a timer so everyday it turns on and gives them 4 hours of cooling mist during the hottest hours of the day. The chickens love it.