Hot weather and fans for chickens

[kiaya611]

Do any of you put fans in your chicken coops when the weather gets hot. We have been having a heat wave and my chickens are panting all of the time. I was thinking of putting a fan or two in the coop for them. Is this a common practice or does it create a problem (drafts, etc.)?

The ironic thing is that the whole front of my coop is screened, but it also faces west (the basic structure was already there (a wood shed)) where all of the rain comes from and I don't want the water blown in and mold the straw that is on the floor so I have put up plastic to blocked the screening except the top 10 inches or so.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

 

[Poison Ivy]

I hung a large 20" fan & installed a screen door on my coop about a month ago. Boy does it make a difference in there. I also had hubby install two roof ventilation cut outs. He said when he knocked out the wood cutout he could feel the heat coming out of the coop.

 

[fowlweatherfriends]

Funny thing, all the talk about dangerous drafts and my chickens LOVE to sit in front of the fan! It is too cute to see the silkies with their hair like feathers blowin' in the breeze

My coop has ventilation at the top too, and I just leave the doors open when it rains. The birds will move back further if the rain blows in a bit.

 

[kiaya611]

That's good to know. I will get some fans for the chickens.

Here is a pic of my coop and you will see how the screens are all across the front (FACING WEST where the rain comes in)

Thanks,

 

[ChrystalGail]

I use frozen 2 liter bottles to cool my babes off. They all gather around them and rest against the bottles. Milk jugs work good, too. I also freeze 1/2-3/4 of their water then fill up with tap water and it gives them cold water for about half the day. Now when you say heat wave, how hot are you talking? We hit 119 yesterday! Ouch!!!!

 

[kiaya611]

Well...in Oregon we don't have heat like that (at least not in the valley)....but we have had temps in the 90s and that is hot for here.

 

[JackieK318]

I have an exhaust type fan with a thermostat and an oscillating tower fan. Mine are the same about drafty air - they love it. They all close their eyes in front of the fan and get comfy. It's too cute!

 

[Yonaton]

Looking at your picture of the coop, you could paint all that wood white, it looks like it'd make quite a difference.

 

[Jsto]

I'm pretty sure it's just cold drafts that cause a problem. A bit of air circulation caused by the fan shouldn't do anything. I haven't done it yet, but am looking into those fan-vent thingymabobs. Sorry, I have no idea what the technical name is! What it is is a little vent that you install like any other, except it's wired in. When you turn it on, the vent opens and the internal fan turns on, pulling hot air out.

 

[CarriBrown]

Ah... sort of like an attic vent? You know those round things on the roofs of houses that spin?

Chrystal- That is a good idea with the milk jugs and liter bottles. I'll have to try that with them. I've tried wetting down a part of their run to see if they would lay in it, but they don't.
Maybe an industrial fan wouldn't be such a bad idea.