Helping chickens in the heat

[dyerchickens]

We are going to have triple digit heat here next week and I was wondering if there is anything I have to do to keep the chickens cool. They do free range in our backyard during the day, but I am concerned that they will get too hot. Any suggestions will help, thanks. Oh by the way I have a welsummer,black sex link, and 2 rhode Island reds.

 

[sumi]

Make sure they have adequate shade, so they can hide from direct sun and plenty fresh, clean water to drink. What I found helped on really hot days is to make a few puddles for the chickens to stand in and cool their feet as well.

 

[thegoodlife1961]

My chickens have access to both their coop & large yard during the day. Their yard has lots of shade & in the coop I have 2 fans going in case they decide to go in at all. In both the coop & in their yard I put ice in their water. My 2 waterers are the 1 gallon size & I put 1 to 2 ice trays of ice in each one. Best I can do. So far so good.

 

[dandrews1971]

Were facing the same thing with our 6 hens, 2 roos & 17 chicks (in seperate runs).
We put out pans of water in strategic places -surrounding the food bowl, front of the coop door, etc, so they are forced to walk thru it to get what they want. I also feed only in the evenings, as eating grain tensds to warm them up. ANother thing Ive been doing is freezing vegetable cans of water with bits of veggies & fruit in them. Ill dump them all out in a large metal pan & the girls have a field day with them. Make sure they have dirt to dig in to get to the cooler parts too. spray the coop down occasionally. Fans & misters work well too.