How are you helping your birds BEAT THE HEAT :(

[Eliz]

HI I live in Savannah Ga and we are hitting 102 with heat index 110+ this week. I have tried to freeze water bottles and my girls and boys won't have anthing to do with them!

What are some things you are doing to help your precious ones deal with the heat?

 

[SterlingAcres]

Make sure they have lots of water and throw them some melons or other cold tasty treats. It's only 80 here and it's been breezy, but we're supposed to get nasty thunderstorms for the next week...

 

[Cassandra]

I raked up some fresh pine straw, that falls under the shade of the tree. I throw it in there along with the cool damp dirt that's underneath it -- and the worms under there! I don't know how long it stays cool, but the hens LOVE it. And I put up a section of privacy fence on one side of their run to make more shade during the day. (I didn't build a section of fence, I had an old 6' section that had fallen down and been replaced--I leaned the old section up against their run.)

Cassandra

 

[Wildsky]

I really only had my broody hens to worry about - everyone else is under the apple trees - we also got up to 110 the other day (its nice and cool 80somthin today)

I used the ice, in bottles, and just ice blocks thrown in the coop (dirt floor so it doesn't matter) I have a big double fan going all day, at night I switch it to a small desk type fan. I have one window open in the coop - a little window to the barn open on the other side, as well as two human doors and two chicken doors all open.

I didn't have frozen or cold fruit - mine got peas that I just washed off straight out the freezer and some corn as well out the freezer.

For my broody girls who are stuck in the coop - I gave them bread soaked in water at least once a day and then brought them regular food and water in a little measuring cup - I made ice "bags" with my foodsaver - long and skinny and put those on the furtherest side IN the nest box. (one hen was making a funny coughing noise for days!)

 

[priszilla]

I made a redneck AC for the building- it is a cooler filled with water and frozen water bottles- and pump for a pond connected to a fan by tubing by zip ties ( and then to copper tubing on the face of the fan). I saw it on Utube. It makes it a little cooler at least.
I also make a puddle for the free rangers, put out shallow pans in the pens that have space for them,add ice cubes in the middle of the day, and check them often

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:

 

[Eliz]

O' I AGREE, I HAVE TO SEE THE REDNECK A/C!!!

My DH tells me all the time that I am such a neck

 

[seminolewind]

I have 3 fans running in my coop, 2 blowing air in, and one facing the nests.
I bought a misting fan, and put it in the shade under the trees next to the coop. It is well worth the money, the chickens sit there all day. It's really cool.
I put ice in their water every day.

 

[A Carolina Chick]

Wand misters in the coop, ice in the water, and lots of cooled tasty fruits and vegs. My girls should think that they are on a cruise. They are being pampered so much!