Hot outside, how to keep my girls Cool.

[GC-Raptor]

If they could be 14 weeks old, I would get another bag of non medicated start & grow or an all-flock feed and offer them oyster shell or crushed limestone on the side. .
I give my girls a mixed seed with black oil sunflower seeds as a treat scattered on the ground , what they consume in 15 to 20 minutes twice a day. GC

 

[Jacquieh]

Ok, thank you. You said the Non medicated start and grow....what if I had the medicated I was feeding them? Should I not give them medicated or does it matter? And that scratch looks like what I give my girls, except there are no black sunflower seeds. And I haven't been given them that cause of the pieces of corn. I thought it makes them more hot. And the past 3 days is been 100° so I didn't want to risk it? What do you think?
I Really appreciate all your help I feel like a new mom, being stressed out over every little thing. Except when I had my daughter, I wasn't this crazy! Lol...my baby brother was born when I was 18, so having my own was easy But chickens, Ahhhh, I feel like I don't know Anything! Lol....so you helping me with my feed issue is helping and all the other nice people that gave me advice on how to keep them cool.
Jacquie

 

[GC-Raptor]

The medicated start & grow is what I gave my girls for 16 weeks. But I have sense read that the medicated feed has no benefit after 10 weeks, will not harm, just not helpful.
Go ahead and give them scratch as a treat scattered on ground, what they consume in 15/20 minutes twice a day won't be too much corn. Mix it 50/50 with black oil sunflower seeds. GC

 

[azygous]

It's been very hot here where I live, too. Almost 100F the other day. My run is sand and I sprinkle it with water when it gets in the 90s. The chickens dirt bathe in the damp sand and cool off that way. The water evaporates into the air, causing a cooling effect, lowering the temperature near ground level a good ten degrees.

I also freeze a block of ice, including electrolyte powder, with canned corn embedded in it for them to peck at, drinking the ice melt as they work their way through the ice toward the corn. When the day is done, they've drunk all the ice melt, about a gallon, and managed to get all the corn as the big prize.

I've never had any heat stroke in my flock.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

It's been very hot here where I live, too. Almost 100F the other day. My run is sand and I sprinkle it with water when it gets in the 90s. The chickens dirt bathe in the damp sand and cool off that way. The water evaporates into the air, causing a cooling effect, lowering the temperature near ground level a good ten degrees.

I also freeze a block of ice, including electrolyte powder, with canned corn embedded in it for them to peck at, drinking the ice melt as they work their way through the ice toward the corn. When the day is done, they've drunk all the ice melt, about a gallon, and managed to get all the corn as the big prize.

I've never had any heat stroke in my flock.

I like this - what sort of mold do you use for the big ice blocks? I'm assuming you put them out in trays/pans?

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

You can also hang frozen corn. Mmmm, chicks like cornsicles!

 

[azygous]

The mold I use for frozen blocks is just a plastic storage container. It has to fit in my freezer compartment, and it should be heavy plastic so it doesn't rupture as the water expands as it freezes. Hate that when it happens.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

The mold I use for frozen blocks is just a plastic storage container. It has to fit in my freezer compartment, and it should be heavy plastic so it doesn't rupture as the water expands as it freezes. Hate that when it happens.

I'm TOTALLY doing this this year - thanks for sharing!