cooling off your chickens

[sayccrn]

I love my little chickens as much as you love yours..I sit with them on and off all day. I put a pop up canopy over my coop and used a mister to try and keep the temps down a couple degrees. I also bought a water heater pan and filled it with water in their run. Also I sprinkle down the run a couple times a day even though it has a cover over it. Its blasted hot here in east Tennessee and we haven't had a lick of rain in quite a while. I fill their water with big hunks of ice every day also. Every little bit helps. Good luck and try not to worry.

I'm getting one of those omlet 6x9 enclosures. It can't come soon enough. It will only have the morning shade til about noon, but at least the ceiling will be 6'8" and a tarp or roffing panels won't turn it into an oven. I may even be able to shade their coop, and bring that temp down. I already have a big screen door on it that I leave open all day, so it airs out well for when they go home. But that enclosure can't come soon enough. I can't wait to interact with them and bring my chair in and sit with them in the morning with my coffee. Ahhhh..

 

[2hotchicks]

YuP, I do every hour, I mist them all down, the tarp on the outside and the inside, give them more ice in their water, frozzen treats, a fan. etc. But I am still new and it's all of ours first summers togethers. I didn't think I was going to fall in love with them so badly! they are so adorable and I want to bring them inside, but my cats may think I bring them lunch! lol

I'm a first-timer too & also wasn't prepared to fall in love with 2 chickens but I did. My friends & family say my girls are spoiled. Let's hope for cooler weather

 

[2hotchicks]

Sorry, Cucumber!

Thanks, I went totally blank lol

 

[Bear1978]

@aart

This is your queue buddy! Get your copy and pasting fingers ready with that handy and useful info about cooling off chickens! Lol

 

[aart]

Deep all day shade is best but....I don't have much of that.
This has worked very well to keep heat stress/stroke at bay:

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

 

[sayccrn]

I'm a first-timer too & also wasn't prepared to fall in love with 2 chickens but I did. My friends & family say my girls are spoiled. Let's hope for cooler weather

Right? The storm this afternoon helped, it went from a feels like 101- down to 95 actual degrees to 79 actual degrees, but still humid as heck! But they were ok, as long as the sun was not beating down on them.

 

[sayccrn]

Deep all day shade is best but....I don't have much of that.
This has worked very well to keep heat stress/stroke at bay:

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

Impossible, this is my puny, horrible freezer. Ground level, as you can see. I have to sit down to dig anything out. The draw only comes out like 6 inches. See the white ice pack, I use that. The little oblong tupperware, I use that. The auto icecubes I use, the tray is also filled with frozen food. I want to get another separate freezer, but it's just not in my budget yet. So I have to deal with what I have.

 

[Bear1978]

Deep all day shade is best but....I don't have much of that.
This has worked very well to keep heat stress/stroke at bay:

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

Love it! Great info for sure! Thank you sir!

 

[2hotchicks]

Impossible, this is my puny, horrible freezer. Ground level, as you can see. I have to sit down to dig anything out. The draw only comes out like 6 inches. See the white ice pack, I use that. The little oblong tupperware, I use that. The auto icecubes I use, the tray is also filled with frozen food. I want to get another separate freezer, but it's just not in my budget yet. So I have to deal with what I have.

Someone is very interested in your freezer contents lol

 

[sayccrn]

Someone is very interested in your freezer contents lol

You have no idea! He could be dead asleep and if he hears the freezer door open he will come running! He loves to just lay there in front of the door! He's crazy! He will be so upset when I get a normal refrig (with the freezer up top!) LOL