Hot chickens!

[Chickenmarsala]

Hey yall,
I live in Phoenix Az and temperatures here can get well over 110 degrees. Summer is just beginning and it's been in the 90's this week. I went out to check on my animals and my chickens seems uncomfortable and my duck was panting. They all have access to water and are shaded, but my question is, is there anything else I can do to help keep them cool? I have a pool in my ducks coop, but it gets so dirty and green so fast. Is there anything I can put in it or do to help keep to clean and clear? Thanks everyone!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

frozen fruits, ice cubes, frozen water bottles are all Great things to have for them! also you might try a VERY weak small sprinkler.

 

[CannedMonster]

I’ve heard if you fill a container or kiddie pool with a few inches of water the chickens enjoy standing in it to cool off.
I’m not sure what to do about keeping ducks water clean.
I don’t know if it’s possible

 

[redranger209]

Freeze berries in a block of ice. They’ll peck at it and cool off.

 

[LittleGreenBarn]

Hello! I'm in Texas and am no stranger to hot summers as well. This summer we are looking to set up a mister system. Though may not be a good solution with you being in Arizona due to too much water usage. It's a concern here too, and will only be used when it seems crucial.

I normally flood out parts of the run (when not free ranging) so the chickens can cool themselves, they cool from the feet up. They immediately run to dip their feet in. Shallow pans of cool water could definitely help too. I also put ice in the waterers and give them frozen corn and fruit treats.
Hope that helps!

 

[LittleGreenBarn]

I’ve heard if you fill a container or kiddie pool with a few inches of water the chickens enjoy standing in it to cool off.
I’m not sure what to do about keeping ducks water clean.
I don’t know if it’s possible

We bought a kiddie pool the first summer we had chickens, they were terrified of it, wouldn't go within 10 feet of it...... Hmmm, Or maybe they just hated the color pink that it was...

 

[CannedMonster]

We bought a kiddie pool the first summer we had chickens, they were terrified of it, wouldn't go within 10 feet of it...... Hmmm, Or maybe they just hated the color pink that it was...

I was thinking that as I typed...my birds will probably be scared of it lol.
If I left it out there eventually they’d inspect it.
They were inspecting our paint job on the new coop today

 

[Wise Woman]

I have seen where people get a small, shallow pan and put a brick in it and fill it with water. The brick absorbs the water and the chickens can stand on the wet brick to cool off. Don't know if this actually works as I tried it, but none of my chickens would use it. I live in the mountains in so Cal and it doesn't get as hot as AZ or down in the desert, but our property lost over half a dozen large trees prior to us purchasing it, so it gets the hot afternoon sun where the chickens are. We have planted lots of new trees, but it will take a few years until they make any shade on the chicken run.

I just put up a shade cloth all along the south side of the run and that seems to help. I also put a fan in the run and will be putting one in their coop window for summer. Last year we had a very old goat who didn't want to go outside much. She would lay in her house in front of a fan and the chickens soon learned to go and stand in front of the fan when they got hot. So I brought out the fan again for them.

I also give them cold treats around noon or 1 pm when it seems to be the hottest. I also put ice in their water or give them a pan of ice water to help cool them off.
You can also wet the ground. We did that last year and that helped a fair amount but I can't do that this year as we are on water conservation beginning June 1.

If you have a covered run, you can also grow vines over it to create shade. I have seen some runs covered in grapevines or other climbing vines. HTHs!

 

[h c hennery]

Last summer we used shade cloth, and also set up a box fan outside the run. On brutal days, the chickens pretty much stayed parked in front of the fan. I also kept a gallon jug of the chicken electrolyte drink mixture in the fridge, and would give them cool drinks of it on hot hot days.

 

[Wise Woman]

This might help.