How To Keep Your Chickens Cool In The Summer: On A Budget

[moms3cuties]

I can't say enough about having large terracotta pot saucers (the ones you put under potted plants to catch any water that leaks, but just the saucer not the pot). Unglazed terracotta soaks up water and as it evaporates it keeps the water relatively cool here where we have single digit humidity and super high summer temps. I use them for my chickens and quail. The quail roll around in the water like dogs so I have to fill them a couple of times a day when it gets hot. They also will lay in them and if they've had a dust bath they just get muddy but hey, it's cool mud! The chickens stand in them to stay cool, they don't get as crazy as the quail. Two details on using these. First they must be located where they will be in shade or the evaporation will not be able to keep them cool. Second be prepared to clean them! These birds will get them very dirty! They need to be cleaned daily or twice daily but it's worth it to keep them cool. I've tried using different pans and saucers made of glazed ceramic, plastic, glass, and metal but nothing beats unglazed terracotta for coolness. The saucers of water always have a crowd on hot day

How is this? It says inside its made in Italy it seems like its unglazed. I bought it from home depot near Country Club south of the freeway.

 

[Sill]

How is this? It says inside its made in Italy it seems like its unglazed. I bought it from home depot near Country Club south of the freeway.

Yep, that will work. My quail and chickens love them.

 

[NicolettesChick]

Thank you ! I am also a new Chicken Mom and I have a small flock of 2. As it gets so hot here I was also wondering.
These are some great suggestions for keeping your chickens cool

 

[NicolettesChick]

The Terracotta saucers are a great idea! Thank you = )

5-5-15.... Hi I am just stopping back to edit my original post and share my trial and error. The terracotta saucers work GREAT and the Chickies love them! When it is hot I will go out and put in each, about 32 oz of ice water with cubes. They thought it was strange at first then they started to stand in them.

Also I use 2 two liter bottles of frozen water and they last most of the day, in the coop and run. (at least until I get home from work). I have several and I rotate them out.

My little girl Walla (a Sultan Bantam Frizzle, She has a tuft on her head and feathers on her feet. She looks like a Walrus when she walks or runs, hence, Walla.) was going through being broody and about a month of this I got fed up, (I imagine she did too) and read where you can dunk them in cold water and it helps break the cycle. At any rate, my point in this was, that the Terracotta saucers work great for this !!!!! One dunk a day for about three days about 5 - 10 min she she is Broody no more !!!! (You basically hold them in the saucer and let them sit there in about 2" of water.) She does not care for a wet butt, but after a bit she relaxes and lets me do this. After she trots off and shakes off her butt, she acts more like a Chicken should.

I hope this help anyone and thanks for letting me share = )