Hot stubborn chickens.

[Lkw]

Ok, we have a lot of chickens (with a few turkeys and guineas). They are all incredibly stubborn and All of them have been displaying signs of being overly hot (not surprising- we are in the middle of a heat wave and have had heat advisories). We have a new fairly large coop with a fan and cooling system but they will not go into it unless it is nighttime or raining.

We also have shade trees, which they do not use…like they will still be out in the sun chickening when it is 100degrees and sunny. Mouth breathing and splayed wings to try to cool themselves.

So I put out several shallow baby pools (some have pavers so that they were barely in water, etc)… I even put out some large clay saugers made for pots bc I thought they might be afraid of the pools… I tried to allow them to get used to them for several days, but all they did was stare relentlessly at the pools and saucers like they contained alien spawn. I even tried to put a few of them into the water to show them it would help cool them (this was a disaster as they were convinced I was attempting to murder them).

Now (2 weeks later) they will go up to them sometimes, very reluctantly stare into them for what seems like a century, take a sip or two of water (if they can reach the water) and run off like their life depends on it… they will still go up to their original water things (which include a water system thing in their pen and several shallow troughs throughout the yard) and drink like it’s no big deal… but the pools? Nope…

How do you get your chickens to use pools to stay cool or how else do you cool your ladies? I am worried some of the older ladies will have a heat stroke!

 

[thecatumbrella]

Chickens are smarter than people give them credit for, but they're also not that smart. I got my first flock to use the foot pools, but the new girls will not. Exact same behavior as yours. If they're really suffering (panting, wings out, pale comb), I would override their decision making process. Locked in the run, if it's truly cooler, or fenced in a shaded area outside. If neither is an option, you can try making some shade stations for them with junk lying around, or try to rig something with shade cloths. Put fresh water underneath so they get the hint.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Ok, we have a lot of chickens (with a few turkeys and guineas). They are all incredibly stubborn and All of them have been displaying signs of being overly hot (not surprising- we are in the middle of a heat wave and have had heat advisories). We have a new fairly large coop with a fan and cooling system but they will not go into it unless it is nighttime or raining.

We also have shade trees, which they do not use…like they will still be out in the sun chickening when it is 100degrees and sunny. Mouth breathing and splayed wings to try to cool themselves.

So I put out several shallow baby pools (some have pavers so that they were barely in water, etc)… I even put out some large clay saugers made for pots bc I thought they might be afraid of the pools… I tried to allow them to get used to them for several days, but all they did was stare relentlessly at the pools and saucers like they contained alien spawn. I even tried to put a few of them into the water to show them it would help cool them (this was a disaster as they were convinced I was attempting to murder them).

Now (2 weeks later) they will go up to them sometimes, very reluctantly stare into them for what seems like a century, take a sip or two of water (if they can reach the water) and run off like their life depends on it… they will still go up to their original water things (which include a water system thing in their pen and several shallow troughs throughout the yard) and drink like it’s no big deal… but the pools? Nope…

How do you get your chickens to use pools to stay cool or how else do you cool your ladies? I am worried some of the older ladies will have a heat stroke!

I see that your chickens have been discussing matters with my chickens.

 

[ValkerieGunn]

I trick mine. Find a nice shaded tree, hang a meal worm ring, and before I let it drop low really water the ground so it is moist but not muddy and voila they start pecking for pieces on the ground notice it is cool and enjoy. Or I freeze food and toss some ice chucks out and as it melts they get some goodies.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I am guessing (but I'm not a chicken) that mine would be willing to stand in a mud puddle with some water in it, but I've spent several years in creating awesome drainage, haha. As a result, I have mostly buried a Rubbermaid or similar rectangular tub in a raised bed, added a few bricks (I too am slow and unwilling to get into a cold pool), and watched them stand in a semi-circle around the tub, staring at it and commenting to one another, the result of which seems to be "Nah, dawg."

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Not stubborn. Pools just are not hard-wired into their brains like they are into ducks' brains. It makes no sense to them. They think they will drown.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

It’s a miracle! And Buffy, as a BO, suffers most from the heat, panting long before the others:

 

[Chickenpoonumber2]

I put out a short storage bin full of water and kept it clean and they avoided like it was a worm hole to another dimension. So I stopped fiddling with it so much (cause they didn't touch it anyway) and it got all muddy and full of leaves and now 4/6 chickens will get in and wade through it.
I also take empty jugs and fill them half way with water and freeze them, then put them around in the pen. They really like to stand on those or lay next to them.