Cooling off your chickens??

[Sassymygirl]

As some of you know, Louisiana can be a very hot and humid place! Well, my girls are so hot they are panting all day and holding their wings out. They have lots of shade, (there are banana plants all around the run) and they have fresh cold water, but they seem so hot! Is there anything else I can do? My gandfather said I could hose them down, but I don't know how that would turn out....What would you do, to cool them down??

Thanks.

 

[Mahonri]

Go to Home Depot and get a mister for their run... I'd tell you to put an AC unit in the coop like I did, but my new AC unit in there quit me.

My poor chickens are suffering too.

 

[Chicken_Lover4567]

It's EXTREMELY hot here in Central Texas too. I usually give my girls (and boy!) a big slice of frozen fruit to nibble on. It seems to cool them down alot, and is a really good treat. Sometimes I put frozen water bottles in the run and they crowd around it. As far as hosing them down, my girls don't prefer that put I do occasionally grab an especially hot looking hen and plunk here in a tub of cool water now and then. Can't wait to see other peoples responses.

 

[Firearia]

I put ice in their water, so that when they did drink it wouldn't be hot from being in the sun or the coop. I tried spraying my chickens lightly with the hose, however they don't like it.

The mister is a good idea, I think I'll pick one of those up next year!

 

[nanawendy]

Get a fan if you can, They will love the breeze.

 

[BWKatz]

Fill used water bottles, freeze and throw in pen for them to lay on. U can put a kiddie pool in ther if they are large enough but I would rather use a sprinkler in one corner for them to run in & out of.Use can freeze their treats like watermelon , cantalope , grapes etc. They love them & they last for hours.

 

[chickee]

Quote:
First of all, is that your horse on your Avatar? GOREGOUS!!!

I have a mister hanging across my chicken pen, plus I wet down the whole pen spraying the chickens as I do it. They run away from the water but it is obvious that they feel alot of relief at being cooled down! Sometimes I have to do this a couple times a day. I know that some people give them a shallow wading pool full of cool water to stand in and feed them frozen watermelon and cantalope.
Good Luck!

 

[Sassymygirl]

Quote:
First of all, is that your horse on your Avatar? GOREGOUS!!!

I have a mister hanging across my chicken pen, plus I wet down the whole pen spraying the chickens as I do it. They run away from the water but it is obvious that they feel alot of relief at being cooled down! Sometimes I have to do this a couple times a day. I know that some people give them a shallow wading pool full of cool water to stand in and feed them frozen watermelon and cantalope.
Good Luck!

No, he isn't mine. Though, I wish he was!
And it sounds like I am going to get a mister...And try the frozen fruit and water bottle thing. Thanks everyone!

 

[christa7032]

I hose my girls down. They hate it and run like crazy but they stop panting once it is over. I would rather they be mad at me than die from heatstroke (it gets to about 110 here so I always worry). I have also put frozen water bottles in their coop but they never seemed to notice it.