I'm starting to worry about my little flock of bantams now that it's getting hotter. I have placed an oscilating fan inside the coop, but still seems really hot for them. Any ideas on what to give them or how to keep them cool during the summer? I found one dead yesterday and she seemed to be fine the day before...lost too many to the heat last year and don't want to go through that again. Thanks for any ideas for suggestions!
Some ideas just off the top of my head that I remember seeing on here last year: Put water in milk jugs or liter soda bottles. Freeze into ice and give to your chickens to lay on. Cover the run with a tarp for shade. With a garden hose water down the area for the chickens, they'll lay in the cool mud....May be get filthy but be cooler. Mist them with a garden hose occasionally? I know hot alpacas love this... Provide plenty of cool, fresh, clean water Don't feed corn scratch until evening if at all....some say it raises body temp while digesting Let chickens free range so they can sit under bushes in the shade. Move them all inside to the basement or the A/C??? Any of that help?
I've raised chickens for the past two years in phoenix arizona where summer temperatures can get up to 120 F. I've found that it is most important to keep their water cold because they will not drink from it if it is warm. I freeze water in tupperwear and drop it into their water up the three times a day on the hottest days. I also purchased a mister from home depot and run it during the summer. it works best when placed in front of a fan. Hope this helps.
KimberlyJ...that definitely gives me some ideas and that does help! Johnrobertiii...good idea using a mister. My turkens seemed to do fine, buy my other breeds didn't fare so well. Thanks guys!
Do you have room in your run for a "Summer/Florida" type coop? Wire on all sides and bottom with a solid roof. I live at 30 degrees latitude ( New Orleans) where the sun and humidity are intense for 6-7 months per year. I have never lost a bird due to heat stress, my girls have access to shade and fresh clean water 24/7, but never ice cubes, frozen treats, or any other heat mitigation ideas that I've read about here "Fans?,we don't need no stinkin fans." My flock consists of Buff Orpingtons, Production Reds, and Barred Rocks, none of these are small/lightly feathered breeds. Yes, when it is very hot they will be panting with open mouths in the sun- once they hydrate and get into shade -no problems ( and it's the same with me!) Good Luck with your hens, I've had chickens for 30+ years and will keep doing what works for me and my gals. I am not trying to put anybody down, if it works for you great- just saying what works for me...
Where are you located? Misters are great for dry areas, but if you are in the south the mister just adds more humidity to the air. I do something similar to johnrobertiii does, but I freeze plastic bottles of water, then open the caps and put them in the waterer upside down. I don't even do that very often, not unless it's SUPER hot. Shade and dirt for baths seem to be all they really need, and occasionally they will find a puddle or I'll put water in the lid of a rubbermaid tub and they will stand in it for a few mintues.
I put a layer of corrugated tin over the wood roof and that blocks a lot of the heat inside the coop. I also have two open walls with only hardware cloth rather than wood walls. Also plenty of shade especially during hottest part of day. If you don't have trees, you can use shade cloth (Tek Supply or Farm Tek good sources) or even tarps to block out some of the light and heat. It's been in the upper 90's + humidity prior to this wonderful cold front and my girls have been doing fine. Wetting the area where they dust bathe also seems to cool them off. Figured that out after they massacred my flower beds after a good watering.
Aggie9296...I have tarps along the tops of the runs, but still lost some to the heat last summer. There were days where the wind blows, but it was just too hot! I will try wetting the ground this summer as an idea. Chics in the sun...I'm located right outside of Corpus Christi, TX and it gets pretty humid here because we are so close to the Gulf of Mexico. Frozen bottles of water huh? I'll give it a go! Bywaterdog...lucky you for never having lost a bird to the heat. I along w others in my area have not been so fortunate. My pens are all made of welded wire w wooden roofs, so apparently that isn't working for me. They are in the shade and get fresh water everyday. I open to everyone's ideas including the fans! LOL Thanks again everyone!
My chicken house has screened vents going around the sides and rear, up near the ceiling (hot air rises). During the hot summer, I have a fan at the entrance blowing air inside. I turn the fan down to 'low' after they go to roost in the evening. I change their water 2-3 times a day and put some ice in it, 90% of their pen is tarped over. They have plenty of shade in the pen and yard and dig holes under bushes to keep cool. I give them chilled watermelon every now and then and they love that, they also love a head of chilled cabbage hanging in the pen to eat....it keeps them busy too.
