How to keep my hens cool in the hot summer

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

(In person) I've seen a grand total of 1 chicken intentionally soak their feet.
Most of them will walk through puddles and such if they don't want to go around.
But there's only one who actually steps in the water dish.

3 gallon rubber pan. Clean and refill daily.
They have waterers they can't step in. I just like multiple options.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

The BO finally decided to give it a try yesterday. This is good, because she struggles the most with the heat.

View attachment 4183170

The Easter Egger joins the wading pool gang!

 

[Bawkbok]

Very cool. Perhaps my efforts have been in vain by using too shallow of a pan, which they end up scratching dirt into and drinking out of - silly birds. Maybe I'll attempt it again with a deeper pan.

 

[DLA]

I freeze small pop bottles filled with water and float them in their waterer. 3 or 4 16 oz bottles in a 3 gallon waterer works well. That seems to keep their water cooled down for quite a bit if it's in the shade. They won't wade in any pools or tubs with water but they gladly dig into damp soil under the bushes by the north side of the house to cool off. They seem to love that. I also will give them a variety of frozen treats if it's really bad. Plus shade and fans as needed.

 

[Donna-NC]

I have several methods to cool our birds here in NC:

• I have a hanging box fan in a weather proof area of the run angled towards the ground, not pointed at one spot but angled so it blows across a long area of the dirt. I spray the dirt in that fanned area every night and it stays damp for about 24 hours; as the air passes over it the area is about 2 or 3 degrees cooler than the dryer areas. When it's 109 those 2-3 degrees matter!
• I have a small box desk fan mounted inside the coop pointed towards the ceiling to move the air around.
• I make frozen 'treat rings' in mini-bundt pans with frozen corn and blueberries. I hang those in the run during the hottest days, they gobble them up.
• I give them cold sprouted mung beans and frozen blueberries as a treat early in the mornings.
• As I eat watermelon I leave some on the rind and stick it in the freezer and give them a piece of that frozen rind during the later part of the hotter days.

So far my girls are doing fairly well. Mostly lying down next to the brick wall of the house, way back in the darker part of the run.

 

[DLA]

I have several methods to cool our birds here in NC:

• I have a hanging box fan in a weather proof area of the run angled towards the ground, not pointed at one spot but angled so it blows across a long area of the dirt. I spray the dirt in that fanned area every night and it stays damp for about 24 hours; as the air passes over it the area is about 2 or 3 degrees cooler than the dryer areas. When it's 109 those 2-3 degrees matter!
• I have a small box desk fan mounted inside the coop pointed towards the ceiling to move the air around.
• I make frozen 'treat rings' in mini-bundt pans with frozen corn and blueberries. I hang those in the run during the hottest days, they gobble them up.
• I give them cold sprouted mung beans and frozen blueberries as a treat early in the mornings.
• As I eat watermelon I leave some on the rind and stick it in the freezer and give them a piece of that frozen rind during the later part of the hotter days.

So far my girls are doing fairly well. Mostly lying down next to the brick wall of the house, way back in the darker part of the run.

All great ideas! I cut up the watermelon and freeze it and share with the chickies but I can't part with the rind, it makes the best pickles!!!

 

[OphyliaOrpington]

I have three hens now. I’m trying to keep them cool I bought a baby swimming pool put water in it. Put rocks that they could stand on and bricks where they can step up on. I even set them in there for a few minutes cause I know they cool off by their feet and legs. One of my young hens was breathing so heavy and her wings was expanding. I was a little bit worried For some reason. They just won’t go in the pool. Anybody have any ideas? Any help would be very much appreciated.

I remind myself daily. Chickens are chicken. They almost never try something the first time they see it. I have been using these same kind of brick in water cooling trays all summer (in TN). My chickens still won't stand in them. After a couple of months of me dumping and refilling these things several times a day, they started drinking from them. That is NOT the cleanest water supply. And I think I'm making mosquitos. So I turned them all over yesterday and gave up.

My smarty-pants hens found a better, cooler solution. My second floor A/C drain goes into the back yard under my deck. All the chickens hang out on the cool wet mud created by this drain. No wonder they spend so much time under the deck. Lol. Good for them!

 

[Appalachickens]

Our coop and run is under trees so it only gets direct sunlight briefly each day and stays reasonably cool. But we did add a tarp over part of the open bit to both keep out rain and provide a little more shade. I'v noticed when it is at peak sunny-ness, they hang out inside the coop (which is fully open on one side and has ventilation on two others), or in the dust bath which is in deep shade. I don't do much else, but make sure they have plenty of water and give them fruit treats. Today they got watermelon rinds with some of the pink still on. They love those and will eat those down the outer green part.

 

[DLA]

All great ideas! I cut up the watermelon and freeze it and share with the chickies but I can't part with the rind, it makes the best pickles!!!

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/watermelon-rind-pickles/?_cmp=stf

 

[Appalachickens]

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/watermelon-rind-pickles/?_cmp=stf

I can’t part with the actual watermelon! It’s just too good to share.

But now I’m going to have to try that recipe.