How to keep these birds cool?

[Thesweetbirdsflock]

We are currently the hundred degree weather now. Ugh. I know that chickens aren’t supposed to go over 90. We’ve tried some things to keep them cool, but it’s still hot! if you have any cooling ideas I would love to hear them. We have fans and shallow tubs of cool water and we give them cold watermelon and frozen corn. I know that that sounds like a lot, but those poor chickens are still just panting and mopping around. (We are in North Texas)

 

[Alaskan]

Wetting down the ground, lots of shade, misters at the fan, and swamp coolers can all help a bit more.

I hope your coop is more along the lines of a huge hardware cloth box (with a giant roof for shade).... because making them sleep in anything enclosed would be bad.

 

[cavemanrich]

Have you considered using misters??? I'm sure you are providing shade for them the best possible you can.
What is your location???
You may consider reading some or the posts on the Arizona Thread. I'm not there now,,,,,, but do hang out there.
The chickens there for most keepers encounter 100*+ temps regularly.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/arizona-chickens.31227/page-7052

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

 

[BlueBaby]

I agree with @cavemanrich I am over here in Arizona, and just a few day's ago the temp got up to 116-F. here where I am at. It does get hot, hot, hot. I have switched to doing the Naked Neck chicken's for over here, mostly because they handle the higher heat better.

 

[aart]

We are currently the hundred degree weather now. Ugh. I know that chickens aren’t supposed to go over 90. We’ve tried some things to keep them cool, but it’s still hot! if you have any cooling ideas I would love to hear them. We have fans and shallow tubs of cool water and we give them cold watermelon and frozen corn. I know that that sounds like a lot, but those poor chickens are still just panting and mopping around.

Misters would work if you're in a dry climate.
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

Deep all day shade is best but....

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves. It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

 

[Thesweetbirdsflock]

Wetting down the ground, lots of shade, misters at the fan, and swamp coolers can all help a bit more.

I hope your coop is more along the lines of a huge hardware cloth box (with a giant roof for shade).... because making them sleep in anything enclosed would be bad.

We bought four big dog cage like things, so yes, it’s essentially a huge wire box on a trailer so they can go underneath and scratch around in the cooler dirt, but we have two pullets that we are waiting to introduce into the flock, so they have their own blocked off section of the coop and they can’t go down into the dirt. The other chickens, we call them the big girls lol, go into what we call the wooden thing. It’s just a little wooden shed like thing they access from the wire part of the coop. It has perches and nesting boxes and four big wire covered windows, that’s were they sleep at night. The two pullets sleep in a dog kennel that has a little perch in it and it’s in the wire part. and we have a tarp roof with wire underneath and then we have too big fabric curtains to give them shade in the mornings and afternoon. We worried that misters would get their wood chips wet. Do they not? Sorry for my horrible punctuation!

 

[Alaskan]

We worried that misters would get their wood chips wet. Do they not?

Well yes...misters will get things wet...

But.... if you are in Alabama where humidity is high, that might be bad and cause rot and mold.

But.....if you are in Arizona with super low humidity all it will do is cool things off and there will be zero mold.

 

[Thesweetbirdsflock]

Have you considered using misters??? I'm sure you are providing shade for them the best possible you can.
What is your location???
You may consider reading some or the posts on the Arizona Thread. I'm not there now,,,,,, but do hang out there.
The chickens there for most keepers encounter 100*+ temps regularly.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/arizona-chickens.31227/page-7052

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

I am in North Texas. In July through August, it’s 100s and 90s. But, at least it’s mild winters.

 

[Thesweetbirdsflock]

Misters would work if you're in a dry climate.
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!
View attachment 1873784


Deep all day shade is best but....

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves. It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

Yes, we have been giving them little cups of sav-a-chick. They couldn’t care less about it. They have a little wading pool that we put frozen water bottles in. They mainly just drink out of it and then perfectly position their butts to poop in it.

 

[BlueBaby]

Yes, we have been giving them little cups of sav-a-chick. They couldn’t care less about it. They have a little wading pool that we put frozen water bottles in. They mainly just drink out of it and then perfectly position their butts to poop in it.

To get them to take the sav-a-chick, you could always mix a bit of it up into their feed to make a wet feed out of it. That's how I do with mine anyways in the summer. The extra wet in the feed will also help to keep them hydrated.