Hens in the heat- would they like to run thru the sprinkler?

[NCVic]

I keep thinking that in the 90 degree heat, my girls might like to run thru the sprinkler! Is this a bad idea? Will they just run for cover? They keep tipping their water over but am not sure why they would do that.
Anyone turn on the sprinklers for the chicks?
Found out today that my girls are definitely & completely illegal but am looking into it further. When I looked the first time, 3 years ago, it seemed like there was one ordinance that said ok but no rooster & one that said, in a rather roundabout way, no chickens at all. I went ahead figuring I could always bribe the neighbors with eggs and just never let them into the front yard! Found the group heading down the driveway yesterday, headed for the front yard! I closed the gate & will continue to keep it closed from now on.
The adventure continues!

 

[ChicksterJo]

They might like it. I don't have sprinklers in my backyard so when it gets to 90 degrees I will have to mist them myself with a hose. They hate it at first but then they will realize it is cooler especially in this dry heat. Oh and

 

[linben]

Mine don't like the sprinkler but like to stand in puddles.

 

[maclady]

I am in NC too. My girls hate getting water on them unfortunately. I did put a large low pan of cold water in their run but so far they have not gone into it. I sprayed the ground down with cold water and finally they settled into that. They are panting so bad that I also put up a beach umbrella for more shade for them but it is just plain hot here. SOmeone on here told me to freeze bottles of water and put them in the run area. I have been doing that and today was the first day one of the chickens had settled down near one. Good luck cooling off yours. Weather on yahoo said it was 99 here just a few minutes ago. Way to hot for so early in the summer. Makes me wonder what Aug & Sept are going to be like. Yikes!

 

[TinkleTurkey]

I sprinkle water on the ground with my hose during the hottest parts of the afternoon. It helps lower the temp a few degrees. They dont like the water falling on them, but they do enjoy scratching around in the moist soil.

Most of my bird pens fall under the shade of a large tree in my yard, but a few of them (especially the guinea cage) are out of range of the tree shade. I put up a greenhouse shade cloth -and when combined with a moistened ground it is quite pleasant in there. To be honest sometimes I just take a chair and sit in there.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have a small brass mister attachment for the end of my hose. I prop the hose on something and mist the run. They don't like to be in the mist. It does cool the air quite a bit.

 

[pinkwindsong]

`
Quote:
HI, just down the road in Sc and your not kidding its gonna be a record breaker this year for heat.. I was considering a misting hose put on top of the coop so that the mist would cool them off.. like they have in zoos in the archways to walk under and cool off. I have 9 week old heavy breeds and they have really been panting ... right now they just stop doing anything inthe hot of the day and get up under the cypress trees. funny, they run from shad to shade.. and wont step into the garden.. I found out why .. HOT.. oh my gosh that dirt was so hot I burned the bottoms of my feet.. but sure thats not going to last when the plants get up and create shade.
good luck to everyone on the heat this summer.
)O(
Pink

 

[kimntep]

I'm in Central FL and it's in the mid-nineties here. UGH. I attached a spray gun with a mister setting to the hose and hung it on a branch in their favorite shade tree. They love it! It cools the ground and the air, plus they do seem to like to walk thru it from time to time. It's a very fine mist.