cooling off your chickens

[Strix-Aliana]

Glad you mentioned that because I usually do. Thanks for the advice!

Its acidic nature makes the water less hydrating.

 

[chickencoop57]

Its acidic nature makes the water less hydrating.

Gottcha ya!

 

[The Chic Chalet]

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 Never wet the chickens. Chickens use the air and wind to cool off. If they are wet they will not be able to cool down. Provide an area wheee they can dust bath they use the sand to cool off. Get a box fan and place in the coop. I have been able to bring down my coop temperature by 10 degrees with the box fan. Feed cold watermelon and cucumbers. Place ice cubes in there water and couple times a day. I live in Florida and have two black Americanas and they are doing well with this system.

 

[The Chic Chalet]

I haven't tried watermelon yet. But I have corn, and they look at it like it's monster. I also heard corn is not good when it's hot, that it increases their temp? Not sure, just saying what I read somewhere.

Corn is not good it heats them up in the digestion process. Save your corn for the cooler months.

 

[sayccrn]

I put a frozen jug of water in front of the fan and they get nice cool air.

as soon as my fan comes, I will be doing this!

 

[Laurahowemt]

I mist them with the hose and wet down the ground.

I would put a sprayer on a garden timer that just sprays the air around them outside. That will drop the air temp 5-10 degrees. You need the mist in the air to cool it, not wet ground.

 

[sayccrn]

I Never wet the chickens. Chickens use the air and wind to cool off. If they are wet they will not be able to cool down. Provide an area wheee they can dust bath they use the sand to cool off. Get a box fan and place in the coop. I have been able to bring down my coop temperature by 10 degrees with the box fan. Feed cold watermelon and cucumbers. Place ice cubes in there water and couple times a day. I live in Florida and have two black Americanas and they are doing well with this system.

i do all that, except my fan has not come yet, and they are not really eating anything people wise that i put out to cool them. a little cold watermelon, but that's about it.. the only thing that actually stopped her from panting was the spray down. so it works for her. That's all I know. hopefully I won't have to do that once I get the fan (cuz I hate doing that to her), and they decide to like people food. lol

 

[sayccrn]

I would put a sprayer on a garden timer that just sprays the air around them outside. That will drop the air temp 5-10 degrees. You need the mist in the air to cool it, not wet ground.

I can do that. Thanks!

 

[sayccrn]

Corn is not good it heats them up in the digestion process. Save your corn for the cooler months.

I have heard both sides, At this point, I do not know what is true or not.

 

[sayccrn]

Glad you mentioned that because I usually do. Thanks for the advice!

Nope, not really, I have tried with what I have and it doesn't work.