How Can you keep chickens cool in summer heat?

[Kathy Golla]

I was just thinking the same thing as criticalicious. If you get them trained to wade this summer they will probably use a kiddie pool next summer.
They like to see what they are jumping into, they like it to not be slippery on the bottom and I think a kiddie pool even with only a little water would seem deep to them right now.
I would try starting them with something very shallow, a large oil pan, water heater pan, shallow kitty litter pan, top of a storage tote. It will take them a while to learn to wade but after a while even the chickens who dont like water will wade to cool off. I put a frozen water bottle in the wading pool.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Got it, start small. We're going to try this.

 

[Kathy Golla]

It really does help, I think. That and chickens wont drink warm water, so if you keep the wading pool slightly chilled, it serves double duty.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The wife was thinking of a small kiddie pool to fill just a few inches on really hot days, any reason this would be a problem

No reason that it is a problem but it won't do much to cool off a chicken because you are employing a strategy that works fine for you & me but that does doodle squat to help a hen or rooster deal with heat.

 

[urbanhermit]

My chickies live in the central city of Toledo in northwest Ohio. At night they sleep in an Eglu by Omlet. I set my alarm for daybreak (about 5:15 right now) and let them out into their .4 acre yard with lots of shrubs and trees. They have water in the Eglu and at the back porch (of my house) all the time. When it's hot, they stay in the shade a lot. I have my alarm set for dusk (about 9 right now), and I just go out and latch them in because they've already made the climb up the ladder into the coop. That's about it. They're Barred Rocks, and my experience is that they pretty much take care of themselves whether it's really hot or really cold or just right.

 

[Compost King]

I put a gallon jug of ice in the serama cage since its ventilation is less than desirable in the heat, the rest get shade and I keep the water filled to the top every hour and verify none of them tipped it over.

 

[Doc7]

It really does help, I think. That and chickens wont drink warm water, so if you keep the wading pool slightly chilled, it serves double duty.

??? What did chickens drink for thousands of years before widespread availability of ice?

 

[radar3321]

Sounds crazy but i have made a cold soup for mine the past couple days when it has been in the 90's. Its simply a bowl of ice water with watermelon pieces, oats, and a small hand full of black sunflower seeds. They will spend twenty minutes eating and drinking the mix. May not do much to really cool them off but... they seem to love the treat.

 

[Dand AL]

We use a portable swamp cooler in their run around the coops. They generally hang out under the trees and bushes, but when it gets above 90 and I start the cooler, they hang out in their shaded, cool run almost all day! Yes...they are spoiled! We make sure they have plenty of cool water and they get cool treats when it gets really hot. If I notice they are huffing and puffing I will fire up the cooler. With in about 30 minutes they are calmed down and sitting in the cool airflow.

 

[Nonnie's Chicks]

We put a shade tent over the run & then hung a fan under the peak. It's unpkugged at night when the go into the hutch & turned on each morning. The ladies love it! We live outside New Orleans & it's hot hot hot, and humid!