Heat control

[Roberts2100]

I have noticed my chicken panting inside the coop. Is there anything I can do to help control the temperature, like cut more windows or vents? Here are some picture to help with some ideas. The coop faces south so the back is to the north. Its has house vents on each side that are always open.





Thanks,
James

 

[Roberts2100]

Yesterday the outside temp was about 100 and the inside coop temp was 94-96.

 

[jellybellyx6]

Last year when it was really hot and dry out we got some containers and froze some water in them and put them in the coop for the chickens to lay up against to cool down. We used juice jugs that were more square so they didn't roll. If it is that hot I don't think any amount of venting is going to make much of a difference.

 

[chfite]

If the apparent window in the first photograph is open, that is an adequate vent. Now the other picture shows something that appears to be covered by black plastic. If that is an opening of similar size to the first one, the two together should be a good start on adequate ventilation.

Since these openings are on opposite sides of the coop, there would be cross ventilation without a draft.

In the South, we need large vents for the coops. The small house vents such as appear on the ends of your coop are more for ventilating an attic. You have been in your attic, I suppose. It is well over 100 degrees in there with the house vents. The small vents don't do such a great job of keep the temperature in a survivable range.

I have one vent on the north side of my coop that is 24 x 24. The other side has a vent 8 x 96. I haven't taken the temperature in the coop. When I open it, it does not seem to descernibly hot inside. I leave these open all year long.

The chickens will be fine in winter with lots of ventilation. It simply does not get that cold down here. Chickens have really effective insulation for winter that works against them in summer.

Chris

 

[Hokum Coco]

If chicken owners worried more about heat than cold their would be fewer chicken deaths concerning adult birds. In my honest opinion. Hardy Chickens can stand -40 temperatures with no problem.

It is the heat that kills them!

 

[debid]

My coop is in full shade, which definitely helps. I put jugs of water through the freezer to drop in their water supply so it stays cool. I have buckets under the air conditioner drains and use that water to make wet spots in their run where they can sprawl on the cool soil. What would be a draft in winter is welcome relief in summer so big openings across from each other are left open from May to October. The overhang is enough to keep out anything short of sideways rain and the area is protected enough that I have yet to find wet litter after a storm. Unfortunately, that same wind protection severely limits breezes through the coop so I use a window fan in the hottest months. My husband jokes about how sure he is I'll want a window a/c next...

 

[mikeharold]

You mean like this?!

 

[debid]

Awesome! I knew someone must have one.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Vents and windows are a great help and I don't think you can have too many, especially in the south. Fans are good, too. I have one in my coop window that pulls in cooler air from the shaded side of the coop. I also have one in the run, especially since we've had a lot of rain, to help dry things out.

I keep a gallon ziplock bag in the freezer and fill it with leftover veggies and fruit. On hot days I'll bust some of those frozen things out as a treat for the girls. I change their water out more frequently when it's hot, too, so that they have cool water. I also use tarps and even old sheets to create shade areas.

Heat's harder on the birds than the cold, that's for sure.

 

[mikeharold]

Haha. I had set that up temporarily when I moved them out of the brooder and into the coop before I built the run. It was starting to get hot and the coop was getting over 100 inside and while I do like roasted chicken, I prefer to make it in a different fashion. They are now out in the shaded run and I have since removed the ac, but if this summer gets too bad then I may set it back up to make things more comfortable. I had it sitting around so I figured what the heck and it really did save them.