Heat exhaustion. Hen down......Advise please Wed UPDATE

[MrsBachbach]

I have the frozen milk jugs,bottles, tubs etc. I put frozen jugs in a stryo cooler at night, helps cool. I have misters too. Ice in waterers. This morning 4a I removed the soffit vent, left just hardware cloth increased ventilation. I have four windows. The coop is 8x8. I even thought about a/c...its just too hot.

Keep in mind that cool air sinks. So putting frozen bottles in a styrofoam cooler is not going to help cool the air in the coop. It may keep the area around the floor cool, but will do nothing for the hens that are up on the roost. I would put the ice bottles up higher somewhere in the coop (maybe hang them), or behind the fans like I suggested.

 

[Robeenop]

Actually one of the fans blows right over the jugs, pushing the air up. The cooler is short and keeps the ice from melting too quickly.it makes a difference. I tried hanging them, this way works better for mine,they didn't like the hanging ones. We're restless for a few nights, so I removed them.

 

[Robeenop]

Well today was better! I had sliced and frozen two more watermelons. Went to Sam's club and bought more grapes and greens. At 4 am I was re filling all waterers with electrolites. Work them up to feed while it was cool. The water was changed out twice during the day while I was at work. I filled a hog pan with ice water, frozen berries, they all went to town, eating and drinking tomatoes from the garden and greens. No panting either. Even the sisters to the two I lost look fine. Putting a bathroom exhaust on my big coop wall this weekend. I will be able to remove more heat.

 

[Robeenop]

Woke them up

 

[Robeenop]

I am a pro specialist at Lowe's,so I have an advantage on materials etc, coop is wood with an insulated white shingled roof. The eaves are all vented, 4 windows with drop down shutters on top, 2x4 framing, joists etc. My door is 3 feet wide. It sits 2 feet off the ground.I can stand up and walk around in it easily. I removed all the litter from the winter and replaced with fine play sand.works great. One side gets a lot of sun, so I put up exterior blinds,that let air through, but not the sun. That still is a coop problem, but the 20' attached run is fine.

 

[Robeenop]

I think I will change the color of my coop too.its charcoal and red all my runs are covered. The huge pen is open, so they can go anywhere they want except my gardens. I think I went a bit over board on my construction...too "tight", I don't use the misters now, too humid as it is. Increasing air movement and exhaust I think is the key. They love the big fans.

 

[Robeenop]

Weekend project to redo my soffit venting---bigger,add exhaust, maybe a roof turbine.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Well, that should do it. Exhausting the heat will help very much.