Heat Problem (Help)

[Nuclear Chickens]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I really liked having a flock. Even though they had shelter they would sleep out in the run at night on the perch pole I had between two iron fence post. I don't blame them because if I was a chicken I wouldn't want to sleep inside during the cool desert nights. I like the ice in the water idea. I have a chest deep freeze and plan to freeze 2 liter coke bottles to put in the water. Also change the water more often. I would change it every couple days but noticed how warm the water would be. When you feed watermellon to chickens do you have to take the seeds out? Will they eat the seeds and if so can they pass them?

 

[Pampered Hen]

As long as they have access to grit (which they probably do, since they have a run), watermelon seed should not be a problem. I have the opposite problem with very cold winters, so I have stayed away from breeds that are not cold hardy. Here is a link to a very handy breed info chart that also references heat and cold hardiness:
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.htm

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Shade and a breeze of some kind.

Be sure the tarp isn't laying right on the ark. It should be above it with ample room for airflow. If you don't have much wind, I would highly recommend a large fan on the worst days. We're in Florida and we have high heat and humidity...but they do fine as long as we make sure there is air flowing. Our pens (southern for coop) are mostly hardware cloth with a solid back and high roof to allow the heat to escape. If the roof is too low it will trap the heat down toward the birds.

 

[dawg53]

I agree with rhoda_bruce and chookchick. I think Meditteranean chickens and australorps would be your solution.In Arizona you have a dry,burning heat and little humidity. Here in southeast Georgia we have the burning summer heat with the extremely high humidity too. Plenty of fresh water is the key and a nice cool watermelon every now and then helps.

 

[azygous]

Have you considered they may have had an electrolyte problem? There's probably something you can add to the waterers to assist them in hot weather, kind of like Gatoraide. In fact, I think you could probably give them Gatoraide in a pinch and it'd work.

I used to live in the southern desert and I had a job working outdoors. The average temp was 117 in summer, and I'd drink a couple gallons of water a day. I know how fast a human can dehydrate. It's really fast for small critters.

My uncle had a chicken farm in the California desert back in the 1950's before air conditioning. He would always lose hundreds of chickens during really hot spells.

Sounds like you thought of just about everything but the electrolyte thing. It might be something to look into if you haven't already.

 

[CARS]

I really don't have an answer to your particular situation, but I really don't understand the problem. Here in MN we have 100 degree days in the summer, but they are worse than your 120 degree days. We have such high humidity it feels like you are drowning. I have been in the SW on a 110 degree day and it feels better than our 90 degree days.

My point is, I have all the same breeds you do and they live through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows (sub-zero for weeks).

I wouldn't blame the temp. Maybe the breed could be selected better. (I will never get the large comb birds again because they get frostbite) You might do better with lighter birds

I just can't see the temp being an issue

 

[chickensnax]

I agree with using the electrolites in their water during the hot summer months. I live in south Texas and it gets pretty hot here too. THe electrolites can be found at your local feed stores or Tractor Supply. On the really hot days I even noticed that my outside kitties would drink out of the chicken waters while the pen was open during free range hours. Then we also put windows with screening in their coop and a whirly bird in the roof to help with ventilation while they were laying eggs, and usually had the doors wide open during the day too. And their coop and pen is in the shade for pretty much the whole day. Oh and half of my flock is Br's, orps and A orps.

Good luck this year.