Hot weather

[Karen27]

Hi,
Just looking for some ideas of what others do to keep chickens cool in hot weather.This is my first summer so here in Colorado we have been in the high 90s and will be 100 on the weekend all next week in the 90s . They do have an area of shrubs and bushes where they can hang out but I still see them panting I have extra water out tried misting them with the hose but they werent very happy with that . I was thinking about a small blow up kiddie pool bit idk .Any other ideas??

Thanks,
Karen

 

[sourland]

Shade is good - fresh cold water several times daily - ice blocks in the water source.

 

[sgvpollo]

I've got a related question that hopefully someone can respond to. I've got a some 4 week old chicks and we are anticipating +100 degree temps going into this weekend and through the foreseeable week. I'm sure I can turn off the lamp come this weekend, but now I'm worried about keeping them cool. I know that breezes and drafts are a no-no, and everything I've seen related to cooling chickens are for mature birds. They're still running around in a big plastic tub right now. Frozen water bottle? Bits of frozen vegetables? What're some of the options for keeping these little guys cool?

 

[azygous]

People mistake the panting reflex in chickens for a sign of distress when it's no more something to be concerned with than us humans sweating in hot weather or our dogs and cats panting.

Panting is a means of exchanging the excess body heat in a chicken's body with cooler air in order to maintain a constant body temperature. Some things you can do to help your chickens get rid of excess body heat are dampening their dust bathing spots, providing fresh cold water, a fan to increase air movement on still days, treats frozen in ice blocks such as greens and canned corn, a misting system in very hot dry climates.

If you have baby chicks, you should turn off the heat lamp during the day if the ambient temp is 80F or more as it just adds to the overall temp and is unnecessary. In fact, a heating pad cave is the best heat source for baby chick brooding in the heat of summer since it adds no additional heat to the surrounding area.

More than anything, chicks and chickens need shade on hot days, with something to move the air a bit. Dampening the run will provide evaporation so the air will be a good ten degrees cooler.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I'm don't do anything any different then I do when it's cold.
96* right now and some are laying in their dirtholes in the direct sunshine, some are standing around in the shade, some are scratching around in their pasture, some are squawking in the nestboxes, some 6 week old RIR are just standing there by the feeder in the grower pen looking stupid, some 2 week Cuna chicks in their brooder cage are perched on the feeders crapping in them, got a broody clucking in the Broody Jail, the quail are doing their little rustling thing in their sand pans, business as usual.
Thay all have 1 thing in common; they're panting while they're whatever they're doing. The 7 gallon waterer in the Hen Pen is only lasting 1 day instead of 2.

 

[AllynTal]

Colorado heat is a much drier heat than we get here. It's been my experience in CO that if you can get some shade, the breeze is cool enough, but heaven help you if you're in the direct sun. Make sure they have shade and plenty of water. Their poop will be runny from drinking a lot of water, so don't be alarmed it you notice that. That's normal with the higher water intake.

It's freaking hot and humid here (temp 97 degrees F and Heat Index of 110 F today - humidity 82%), so even in the shade, there's not as much relief as you might hope. When I go outside, it feels like I'm trying to breathe hot water. I keep sodapop bottles filled the water in the freezer, and periodically during the day, I take one out and put it in the waterer. The chickens will drink more cool water than they will warm water, so keeping the water in the waterer cool is a good move to help keep them hydrated.

If you have some bricks or patio blocks, keep them in a shady spot and wet them. You can also fill bigger sodapop bottles and freeze them. Leave them in shady spots where the chickens can find them. If they need to cool off, they can lay up against the frozen bottle or on the wet bricks. On days like this, I'll find most of my chickens up under the coop where there is deep shade and the ground is cool. They wallow out hollows in the cool dirt and siesta there during the heat of the afternoon.

People think chickens are dumb, and while there may be the occasional dumb chicken, for the most part, they can pretty much take care of themselves as long as you provide the conditions for them to do that. Give them a place to get warm if they're cold and a place to get cool when they're hot and they'll take care of their temperature needs themselves.

 

[sgvpollo]

People think chickens are dumb, and while there may be the occasional dumb chicken, for the most part, they can pretty much take care of themselves as long as you provide the conditions for them to do that.

I hear that! My older chickens were a heck of a lot smarter about figuring out how to get out of the rain than my dog ever was or has been!

 

[azygous]

Before I retired, I lived for seven years in the desert down by Yuma, AZ, and I was on the Colorado River so the humidity was over 90%. It would get as hot as 120F in the shade if you could find any since there were few trees. I understand heat and humidity, and summer lasted nine months.

Today, here at 7500 feet elevation, I and my chickens are experiencing close to 90F. It's a dry heat, but most of the chickens are panting. I put electrolytes in all their water bowls stationed around where they enjoy hanging out. I sprayed down their dirt bathing places, and my five-week old chicks were the first to dive into the damp sand.

The older chickens are in the covered run just lounging around, while the younger chickens are excavating the horse manure in the compost pile in full sun as if it was a cool fall day.

Somewhere in the world, people are freezing their @$$es off wishing it was summer.

 

[Karen27]

Yes Coloado heat is very dry and the sun is very strong here .I grew up on Long Island so I know humid heat as well . I fell I got some verygood advice and most things I was already doing so thanks to everybody who took the time to reply .

 

[Karen27]

What kind of electrolyte do you use ? I found a recipe on the chicken chick but I know you have been doing this for a long time