it's supposed to be over 100 here tomorrow and i was thinking of dumping a couple 5 gallon buckets full of ice chips in a large rubber pan for the chickens to rummage through while it was hot... does anyone have any opinions about this??? or any other ideas to cool them down a couple times a day... they do have shade most of the day but i don't even want to be outside when it's this hot and I'm not full of feathers!!!
When I add ice cubes to some of my outside waterers my chickens refuse to use that waterer until the ice melts. I freeze 2 liter soda bottles full of water and lay them around in the chicken yard. They like to lay up against them. They also have a wading pool (actually the same wading pool I brooded them in).
When it is very hot I use a clean cat littler box to make a 'pool'. I fill it 3/4 the way with water and put large pieces of ice in it and keep it in the shade in their run. The chickens peck at the floating ice, drink the water and later when the ice melts some of them actually wade in the water. I hope it keeps them cooler than just plain water. I also spray the shaded area in the morning with the hose. When the chickens lay on that area I think the moist soil helps to wick away some of their body heat.
A couple of weeks ago I had to feed them cracked ice, it was so hot. To keep them from laying hard boiled eggs.
I fill our waterers with ice, a little acv and water. They drink it and seem to like the ice water. On especially hot days I set up our tarp shade tent over their coop. Caroline Jax FL