how hot can they stand?

[AbiandAmi]

How did you go in the heat wave?? I am in QLD and we have some hot days coming up now... I have to work during the day so I worry all day about them! I have set a sprinkler timer to turn on at midday for half an hour and i have put some frozen bottles in some places they like to lie as well as a water tray.I am hoping this will keep them cool till i get home! We have little shade in our yard so i set up a gazebo for them as shade.

 

[ISayWhatThe]

Hi there, they made it, but were not comfortable at all through the hottest part of the day, panting with wings open. I pretty well much did what you plan, I got a big tupperware box for drinking from and put a frozen bottle of water in it, then hosed everything down a few times in the day. I did let the hose run (a bit more than a trickle) for a couple of hours in the mid afternoon. I am lucky to have trees that block out the sun from mid afternoon. It got to 43 at that time so the shade you have put up will do the trick i'd say!

You can't help worrying for them, huh!

All the best.,

 

[Pooman]

I'm in the same boat as some of you, near Melbourne.

Before last weeks crazy heat i ran two systems with misters.

1 on the broody coop, where the chickens were confined to, its misters on the open walls and sprinklers on the roof and western wall. It was much better in there than my house spoilt things. This one needs a timer to come on for a short period then off, something like on for 2 minutes off for 15. Things got a bit wet, but everyone survived.

The other ran through the fig tree, then over another 2 coops in different areas. I would use this one in the morning for half an hour to wet everything down, i didnt use it in the afternoon when they were sitting under the fig tree cause they would run out.

It was all very cheap, think about $70 total from bunnings and a bit of sunburn putting it up.

I'll try post a photo but i seem to be failing to do that recently... It just doesn't work.

 

[Pooman]

Photos just aren't working ....

 

[AbiandAmi]

Thank you. Where did you get your timer from that you can set for a number of different times? Mine can only be set to turn on 2 times at the most which is really annoying...

 

[Pooman]

Hi Abi and Ami,

Dont have the timer, thats what it needs..... I'm going to sort something out forsure, hopefully an easy solution but i suspect it may be a little complex. I'll let you know when i have a solution.

 

[Pooman]

Oh great a photo uploaded, got a bunch more to put up in another thread.

Here you can see the black pipe i ran, the misters on front and it going onto the roof where there are some sprinklers, then it hangs over the back wall and I have some misters pointing on the western wall.

Just when your buying the misters you want the finest droplet size, and the lowest water usage. So check the packets. I think mine were 24 Lt per hour, some were upto 75 per nozzle.

 

[guinea man]

I live in claiforina in the boondocks where it gets very hot. I am thinging about adding a rhode island red to my flock. Will they stand the heat?

 

[Gdlindy]

We have several Rhode island reds along with a few other breeds. We live in the Valley far east of Phoenix, one thing that I have done is ensured that the chickens have enough water and shade. I also made their coop large enough and airy enough so at night they get plenty of air from the breeze. As it has started to be in the 100s, I will also be turning on the mister for them during the day. So far they have survived a summer already, coyote attack (had to dispatch a few but they stay away now) but they seem to be doing ok with the heat.

 

[guinea man]

Thaks