Hot chickens

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

Hey y’all just wanted some ways to keep my hens cool I already have 4 gallons of cold water outside (different buckets in the shade) they get a frozen snack at the hottest part of the day and when I see them holding their wings out I pour some cold water on their bellies I have 9 road island reds they are just over a year and have not molted yet they still have their winter feathers the temp the last few days has been creeping up to 90 is there anything y’all can recommend I’ve tried using a baby pool they just don’t like it any thing will help!

 

[RaineyTN]

I’d think shade and water is all you need

 

[3KillerBs]

Give them shade, plenty of water, and access to ground where they can dig.

In really HOT weather (in my climate 90 is a cool day in the summertime), I give them electrolytes once a week -- but always in a second waterer so that they are never without plain water.

Some people will freeze big ice blocks and put them into a pan in the run so that the chickens can access them when they want to. Some people will wet down a section of the run if it's both hot and dry (but not all of it -- let the chickens choose whether or not to get wet).

 

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

Give them shade, plenty of water, and access to ground where they can dig.

In really HOT weather (in my climate 90 is a cool day in the summertime), I give them electrolytes once a week -- but always in a second waterer so that they are never without plain water.

Some people will freeze big ice blocks and put them into a pan in the run so that the chickens can access them when they want to. Some people will wet down a section of the run if it's both hot and dry (but not all of it -- let the chickens choose whether or not to get wet).

What I did yestery was I wet their dig spots and they didn’t mind the water could I just spray the grass with water like from a hose? I don’t have enough freezer space for a gallon sized bucket of ice sadly

 

[3KillerBs]

What I did yestery was I wet their dig spots and they didn’t mind the water could I just spray the grass with water like from a hose? I don’t have enough freezer space for a gallon sized bucket of ice sadly

They will probably be fine as long as you give them shade and plenty of fresh water.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Yes spray with garden hose. Mine love cool dirt that comes from wetting it with hose in spot or a section of run. Is it windy at all. ?

 

[Brooks_]

What I did yestery was I wet their dig spots and they didn’t mind the water could I just spray the grass with water like from a hose? I don’t have enough freezer space for a gallon sized bucket of ice sadly

Last summer a Solo cup of berries frozen in water was a nice treat for them.

 

[KerriChick]

I always keep wedges of watermelon or cantaloupe in the freezer for the extra hot days in the summer, and use a couple water bowls with ice packs/frozen water bottles/ice cubes in them in the shade. I keep a little bag of electrolytes to put in one bowl if I think they'll need a boost. It gets very dry here so you really have to make sure the water levels don't get too low or it just dries up super fast. My chickens are a bit challenged and love to scratch at their water receptacles until they tip over, so I have to check on them often.

They have completely stolen the outdoor cat fountain from our cats, and drink mostly out of that. It gets ice cubes in hot weather, too.

 

[Weeg]

Watermelon is a great way to help keep them cool. Even a sprinkler position far enough away so that it will mist them in the run is a good idea.

 

[aart]

Hey y’all just wanted some ways to keep my hens cool I already have 4 gallons of cold water outside (different buckets in the shade) they get a frozen snack at the hottest part of the day and when I see them holding their wings out I pour some cold water on their bellies I have 9 road island reds they are just over a year and have not molted yet they still have their winter feathers the temp the last few days has been creeping up to 90 is there anything y’all can recommend I’ve tried using a baby pool they just don’t like it any thing will help!

Electrolytes and ice blocks work best here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/


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