Good tips that you use to keep chickens cool in the summer when it is 100°

[DatCampG]

A bag of oats, a bucket and water?

When I wrote; "I live like it's 1929 on my farm", I should have wrote I will go to town again in about two months. It makes no sense for me to wait two months buy 50lbs of oats for $25 to soak in water to supplement my feed. BUT if someone wants to come out to this very rural area out in the middle of nowhere and deliver some oats I'd try it.
It doesn't sound like a very logical solution for someone like me. Your article was informative though.
Thank you.

 

[LUVMESUMCHICKNS]

We fill small bottles with water and freeze. We drop these into their self-watering container providing cool water for several hours. Repeat as needed! I also freeze chunks of melon and provide ice cubes in the pen for their consumption. Bagged frozen veggies work too!

 

[beati]

feed watermelon
apples without core
cucumber
put ice in there water make sure they have shade

I live inArizona where we spend most of our summers somewhere between 109-115, (ouch to disaster). I bought a Hessair portable evaporator cooler 8 years ago to keep their coop cool. They run around $150 and last about 5 years depending on how much you run them. My girls have plenty of shade, places hide, but at night when they are in their coop it's just too hot.

 

[IVRN]

I also live in Texas, we're under heat advisory right now. It will go up to 103F today. My chickens keep under the bushes, their run is shaded and I lightly water the sand inside so they can bathe in cool damp sand. I give them water with electrolytes. Their waterers are also placed in the shade. In the heat of the day, I spray cool water outside on the grass so they can walk on wet grass to cool their feet. If only I could convince them to get in the pans with water to cool their feet which helps a lot but only few do that.

Hi. I thought the same thing about the pans of cool water and came up with a solution last summer that worked really well. I bought a plastic kiddie pool and got four-five bags of all purpose sand (the large grit stuff) from
Home Depot. I filled the pool 2/3 with sand then wet the sand until it had standing water in. Then i put a chunk of frozen water melon in the center to lure them in and that’s all it took. I have a large clay plant tray that i use to out their snacks in every day and they love it. They wade through the cool sandy water to get to it. It became a favorite hangout for them. To keep the water from being stagnant I just crush one side with my foot to drain the old and use the hose to spray in fresh water in the morning. They love it! I did two because the mean girls always chase off the lower on the pecking order girls so they get the second pool.

 

[IVRN]

Hi. I thought the same thing about the pans of cool water and came up with a solution last summer that worked really well. I bought a plastic kiddie pool and got four-five bags of all purpose sand (the large grit stuff) from
Home Depot. I filled the pool 2/3 with sand then wet the sand until it had standing water in. Then i put a chunk of frozen water melon in the center to lure them in and that’s all it took. I have a large clay plant tray that i use to out their snacks in every day and they love it. They wade through the cool sandy water to get to it. It became a favorite hangout for them. To keep the water from being stagnant I just crush one side with my foot to drain the old and use the hose to spray in fresh water in the morning. They love it! I did two because the mean girls always chase off the lower on the pecking order girls so they get the second pool.

Oh and I forgot to say: I use a very large Tupperware style bowl and make blocks of frozen ice and place the ice block in the center too as they like to hang around that for evaporative cooling.

 

[Greyhoundmama]

Here in Central Texas, my temperature readings have been 105 to 110 every day, and it's not going to stop. I have four Barred Rock pullets, my first chickens. Their coop is well shaded, but I have also laid down masonry sand along one side, several inches thick. I wet down the sand twice a day. The Chooks stand on it or lay around in it all day during the heat. The evaporation of water from the sand keeps them cooler. They may leave it for a short while to chase a bug, but they're soon right back on that sand.

 

[MarcyG]

It is 1:12 a.m. 81° feels like 89° as I take stylus in hand to write this.
I'm dreading the 100° temperature Sunday 6/12/22.
"I have to create and work with what I have on hand laying around the farm."
In Texas where I live, it is supposed to be 3° hotter than it was Saturday. I'm expecting the temperature humidity index to be more intense (115-119°) possibly. I will be checking on my birds every hour. Spread the chicken love. Add your experience (or ask questions) Thank you for tuning in.

My flock has found some welcome heat-stress relief with these cold and healthy snacks. You can alter the recipe as per your preferences and fruits/veggies ingredients handy. This recipe (PDF attached) also uses the 'fines' from my S+P organic feed to mix into the treat. Good luck to you and your flock w/ all this intense heat! Whew!

 

[daisygurl41]

So far, they've been fine. If it gets any hotter here in the Piedmont, I have frozen bottles of water that I can add to the nesting box side. They don't have access to it when they are sleeping, but it might keep it a bit cooler overnight. Our Omlet coops are surprisingly cool in summer and warm in winter because it is double insulated. We also change out their water frequently and give them watermelon. Best wishes for your girls this summer!

 

[DatCampG]

Thank you everyone for your ideas, thoughts and suggestions.
I have been giving my birds fresh water daily in the late afternoon. Every morning they have clean water buckets and pool for the day. They wade their little feet in the mud before going to bed. I have been feeding them FROZEN strawberries, peaches, watermelon, cucumbers and peas. They have a lot more shade now, I put up several flat sheets with tie wraps and clothespins. So far so good. I love my birds, enjoy the exercise, dread my water bill...but hey...this is my birds and my eggs. Have a good Summer. Smiles

 

[Zuckerbird]

Just a thought- bare soil absorbs a lot of heat. Might help to cover it with straw or something light colored.