How hot is TOO HOT???????????

[suenrob]

This is my first year of raising chickens inFlorida. It is blazing hot today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have 2 week old silkies and EE's in a coop I converted from a metal shed. I cut large windows in all 4 sides, and today I added a fan.

Well, I put a thermometer in a while ago and its 99 in there!!! The chicks don't seem to be panting and are eating and drinking.

My regular coop that houses all the adults is a wooden frame structure with roof and enclosed with chicken wire. It's a tiny bit cooler , 96. They free range in a fenced area, but usually hang out in the shade of the coop when its this hot.

So.......is florida too hot for them? (It's definetly too hot for me today!!)

 

[suenrob]

I know there are a few folks from Fl out there, how are your chickens doing in this heat?

 

[LynneP]

Now I live up north, but I'm sure you can raise chicks happily in Florida if they're secure, shaded, well vented and if you refresh their water every few hours with generous amounts of cold stuff. It's nice to hear the concern in your voice!

Our big problem is cold!

 

[ticks]

I one time went to check on my chicks and they al seemed happy and playing. When I looked at the thermometer it was higher than 120* F poor little girls. That was with the lamp. With out the lamp it stays about 80-85 in the summer.

 

[Cassandra]

Our temperatures are probably comparable to yours. It is in the low to mid 90's. I have eleven chickens. Ranging in age from two months to just over a year old.

Sometimes they DO seem to be panting! I'm not sure if that is what they are doing or not--they walk around with their heads up and their mouths open. But they seem fine otherwise. They are in a run with a coop attached.

The younger ones do hang out in the coop a lot more than the big ones. Either way, they have shade, water and plenty of ventilation. I don't think there's a single other thing you can do for them than that.

Then hens like to scratch around in their pine-straw litter to uncover cool earth to sit in. My dogs do the same thing inside. They will splay out on the vinyl floor to cool their whole undersides. This way, they increase the surface area that is in contact with something cool.

I think your chickens are probably fine. They know what to do if they get too hot. And as long as you are providing them with water, shade & ventilation they will work out the rest. (At least I hope so! It's gonna keep getting hotter for while!)

Cassandra

 

[lovinthechickens]

Here in So Cal, the temp is 68.

yay for cold weather!

 

[suenrob]

We finally got a little rain which cooled things down a bit. All the babies seem to be doing OK.

Do chickens like to swim? I was thinking of getting them a little pool to cool off in

 

[lovinthechickens]

Quote:
Every so often i put a little kiddie pool in the run with them, filled with 1-2 inches of water(not too much, they dont like alot) and the play in it :]

 

[skeeter9]

Our temps stay over 100 degrees most of the summer and I haven't lost a chicken to the heat yet. I do run a fan for them and occasionally wet down the dirt in their run so they can lay on it. I think your chickens will be ok in Florida as long as they have plenty of air movement and shade.

Lori