cooling off your chickens

[sayccrn]

The first time we got the little wading pools for the chickens, they did not know what to do with them either. It took them about a day or so before they hung out in it. We have shade cloth covering part of the run, as well as have the coop up a bit (like 18 inches? 2ft??) off the ground and that's where the girls go in the heat of the day. I've given them partially defrosted berries (they REALLY love blueberries) and veggies. There's also a tree that covers up the run in the mornings. I've also iced their waters and we have a little fan going on in the coop. (It already has ventilation windows)

That sounds like my coop too. If I had the enclusre I want, that would hook to the coop, they would have the 16sq ft under the coop for shade, plus it wouldn't be an oven being nearly 7 ft tall, instead of 3ft or so with the tarp. I think I am talking myself into it for sure. I think it would be the best thing for them.

 

[sayccrn]

My birds like ice cubes, especially the slivers of ice that come off the cubes. One of them even comes running to greet me when she sees the ice cube tray in my hands. The melting pile of ice cubes cools off the shaded area they hang out in, which is under a small deck next to my mfg home. (a cool breeze comes out of the ventilation in the home's skirting, better than my immature shade trees!)

Yup, all I have are baby fruit trees too. not much shade going there. Yup, I am going to get that enclosure. charge it!

 

[sayccrn]

Mine didn't like it when they were younger, but go after it now like a swarm of locust!

They LOVE watermelon icecubes now, not the rind just the cubes.

 

[WallyBirdie]

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 offer frozen fruits and vegetables. It's like little birdie popsicles.

 

[NatJ]

Well, I don't have shade, short of digging up a 50 foot shade tree, they will have to wait til my baby trees get bigger.

And as I stated before, I literately have no shade til about 4-430.

So make your own shade.
Stand a folding table next to the run so it casts shade inside the run.
Get a big patio umbrella and put it over the run.
Get one of those top-only tents that people use for outdoor parties, and put it over the run. Or a portable "carport" (tall poles with a tarp-like top.)
Use a car or your house: attach tarp or shade cloth up high, attach the other end to the ground, and it makes a big diagonal shady spot. Put the chicken pen underneath.
Put posts in the ground and attach shade cloth or a tarp to them, so it's above the chicken pen.
Get more PVC and make a great BIG arch, cover it with shade cloth or tarp, put the current pen underneath.
Use tarp, shade cloth, bedsheet, piece of plywood, umbrella, wire mesh with tree branches or hay piled on top, a wood fence panel...
(etc, etc)

One reason trees work so well is that they have LAYERS of shade. A single leaf (tarp, shade cloth) blocks the sun's light, but the leaf itself gets hot. If you have one layer of tarp, then another a few feet lower, and maybe another lower yet-- it makes quite a difference in how cool it is at the bottom.

To deal with the sun moving, make the shade LARGER than the pen. That way the sun can move and the chickens still be in shade. (Covering the sides of the pen would block both sun and air--but you don't want to block air, so don't cover the sides of the pen.)

If you can get some shade set up, the chickens stay cool better without you having to run in and out doings things all day. And they are OK even if you have to be away for a few hours. (If you're buying groceries or going to the dentist, you aren't home to replace frozen things.) Of course you can continue with cold treats too, but you've already said you're short of freezer space. And if you can only do one thing, shade is even better than cold food/drinks.

 

[mviera101]

To help my gals deal with our FLA summers.... whew 97 plus humidity
I've tried a few things, the dip in the pool, not a fan favorite! Greek yogurt with a some pepitas, they loved that, so did I , Lucy just loved it (see pics). Popsicle's (organic no sugar added), they were unsure at first and then decided they were cool. I did add one of those Coleman chillers from the freezer to keep water cool, I change it each day.
Thankfully my yard has a lot of shade and they have helped (landscape) plenty of dirt for bathing. It also rains frequently.

 

[sayccrn]

So make your own shade.
Stand a folding table next to the run so it casts shade inside the run.
Get a big patio umbrella and put it over the run.
Get one of those top-only tents that people use for outdoor parties, and put it over the run. Or a portable "carport" (tall poles with a tarp-like top.)
Use a car or your house: attach tarp or shade cloth up high, attach the other end to the ground, and it makes a big diagonal shady spot. Put the chicken pen underneath.
Put posts in the ground and attach shade cloth or a tarp to them, so it's above the chicken pen.
Get more PVC and make a great BIG arch, cover it with shade cloth or tarp, put the current pen underneath.
Use tarp, shade cloth, bedsheet, piece of plywood, umbrella, wire mesh with tree branches or hay piled on top, a wood fence panel...
(etc, etc)

One reason trees work so well is that they have LAYERS of shade. A single leaf (tarp, shade cloth) blocks the sun's light, but the leaf itself gets hot. If you have one layer of tarp, then another a few feet lower, and maybe another lower yet-- it makes quite a difference in how cool it is at the bottom.

To deal with the sun moving, make the shade LARGER than the pen. That way the sun can move and the chickens still be in shade. (Covering the sides of the pen would block both sun and air--but you don't want to block air, so don't cover the sides of the pen.)

If you can get some shade set up, the chickens stay cool better without you having to run in and out doings things all day. And they are OK even if you have to be away for a few hours. (If you're buying groceries or going to the dentist, you aren't home to replace frozen things.) Of course you can continue with cold treats too, but you've already said you're short of freezer space. And if you can only do one thing, shade is even better than cold food/drinks.

Well, thank you for all your wonderful suggestions, But I am not made of money. I do the best I can with what I have. I am seriously thinking of charging an enclosure, and putting the tarp I have now over the sunny side, putting the fan I have out there too. then at least they will also have the run under the coop for additional shade, and the tarp will be up about 7 feet, so lots of air going through too. That is looking more and more like the best thing to do for them and for me.

 

[CHlCKEN]

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 like to hose down the bottom of the run, so its cool on their feet and when it eveaporates it makes for cool air. i also like to make frozen treeats, fruits and veggies in a container, with water poured on top. i freeze this and then give it to them. I also do watermelon

 

[sayccrn]

To help my gals deal with our FLA summers.... whew 97 plus humidity
I've tried a few things, the dip in the pool, not a fan favorite! Greek yogurt with a some pepitas, they loved that, so did I , Lucy just loved it (see pics). Popsicle's (organic no sugar added), they were unsure at first and then decided they were cool. I did add one of those Coleman chillers from the freezer to keep water cool, I change it each day.
Thankfully my yard has a lot of shade and they have helped (landscape) plenty of dirt for bathing. It also rains frequently.

I feel you, I used to live in SWfl, hence why I moved to GA! But the summers are still florida hot and humid, and this week we are having a wave. Humitures in the low 100's. I am making yogurt today, and they do love their pumpkin seeds. I still have some left from last years harvest, they've been eating. I have organic popcicles, but those are ours!! lol I freeze watermelon icecubes and they love that too.

 

[sayccrn]

i like to hose down the bottom of the run, so its cool on their feet and when it eveaporates it makes for cool air. i also like to make frozen treeats, fruits and veggies in a container, with water poured on top. i freeze this and then give it to them. I also do watermelon

They've just discovered they love watermelon, and I place it in a little cup in the middle of their pan of water, so it's funny, some of them will go in and eat it, and some will sit on the edge and stretch their little necks so far out to reach the floating, moving cup. It's fun to watch. lol