How to Keep your flock cool in the 90 degree heat??

[Niss]

I had a gentle spray going the last two days and my hen avioded it.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

90 degree days are the norm for Florida starting sometime (usually) in April all the way through to sometime in mid to late October. Usually mid-nineties, but sometimes 99 and occasionally down to 90. Every day. And once the rainy season starts (in June) it'll be humid to boot.

What's needed here is plenty of clean, fresh water, good shade, and good air flow. That's all. My tractors and hen house are open on all four sides either at the top or bottom so that air can flow freely. I refill all the waterers twice, sometimes three times a week. The birds manage to get through it all and keep right on laying.

Now while the birds are loafing in the shade I'm the fool going about in the noonday sun hauling feed, filling waterers, moving tractors so all that ice and cold watermelon is for ME!

 

[flowergirl60]

A.T. Hagan :

90 degree days are the norm for Florida starting sometime (usually) in April all the way through to sometime in mid to late October. Usually mid-nineties, but sometimes 99 and occasionally down to 90. Every day. And once the rainy season starts (in June) it'll be humid to boot.

What's needed here is plenty of clean, fresh water, good shade, and good air flow. That's all. My tractors and hen house are open on all four sides either at the top or bottom so that air can flow freely. I refill all the waterers twice, sometimes three times a week. The birds manage to get through it all and keep right on laying.

Now while the birds are loafing in the shade I'm the fool going about in the noonday sun hauling feed, filling waterers, moving tractors so all that ice and cold watermelon is for ME!

You sound like me.

 

[Chickeninthemeadow]

Well, I put out a puppy feeding bowl (it's pretty big but only like a little over an inch or two deep) and put some water in it, perhaps they'll wade in it some and cool off. It's in the shade. I also put them out a big frozen bottle of water near where most of them were laying. I ALSO put a small bottle of ice in their waterer. Actually, it wasn't too bad out there in the shade, though one of my Buff Orps was panting a little.

I plan to check Tractor Supply to see if they have those mister systems I saw on their webpage. If so, I'll probably get 2 of them (rig one up for my two legged kids and another up for the feathered kids.

 

[Tina D]

My girls are in the shade, with some nice cool dirt to burrow into. I put a big jug of frozen water in there, hopefully, they'll know to lay next to it, if they get too hot?? I actually picked them both up and placed their feet on the coldness of it for a few seconds, so they'd know it was cold. LOL They have fresh cool water, and I gave them some cold grapes. Hopefully, they'll be OK. My poor BO is so fluffy, she still pants a bit...

 

[GiddyMoon]

I have lived in Florida, HATE the humidity, spent most of my life in CA - about 30% humidity..and now we are in AZ..no humidity..I do not see how a mister would work in a humid environment..air flow will.

Here, I have a fan on the chicken pen..they roost right in front of it..and when it gets hot I take a glass baking dish, fill it with ice and sprinkle it with cheap frozen veggies..they fight over the veggies like crazy. As it melts I will often find them drinking and standing in the cold water.

I plan on getting a couple of rubber bowls to put in frozen veggies then fill with water and freeze..this will take longer to melt and give them stuff to peck at longer. I have also gone out there with a mister bottle and misted them down..at first they hated it but then over time they realize it works..and now I have some who come running when they hear the bottle.

 

[egg_tastic]

It has been roasting hot!!!! This is basically what I feel like lol

Mine free-range. I have made sure they have fresh, cool water throughout the day. I don't seem them much during the day. They hang out in the woods, under porches, under the shrubs. Anywhere where there is deep shade, they are there!

 

[JEB NC 10]

I can't believe it's been as hot as it's been this early. I'm here in western NC too - Hickory. When I let our girls out in the afternoon/evening and give them frozen berries - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries. I've also thrown in frozen bananas and cucumbers too. Also, I sometimes run the sprinkler in the evening and some of the girls will hang out just close enough to get a light spray.

 

[galanie]

Mine like my garage best. It's detached and catches the breezes perfectly. It's never been used to park vehicles in so no oil on the floor (well it's still a garage! hehe). Good thing it's only me LOL no one to object to poop on the floor.

But I do make them mud puddles in the shade most days and they like those too, as well as the liter bottle of water frozen and put in a pan of water when I think of it. I worry about my biggest, fattest, hen the most. She really is suffering in this heat. And WHY they insist on laying an egg in the most stifling part of the coop there is, I'll never know. You should see her gasping for air when she sits down there to lay. Whew. I put a fan in there to blow that way but it's still not comfy cool.

 

[NC29mom]

We have an industrial type fan in the coop (outside of coop) and their coop is extremly shaded on all sides.....have x3 fans on the inside for the girls that are sitting/laying. We let ours free range during day, food & water is in the coop with the door always open.

We also have big tall bushes they LOVE! They crawl under and dig holes or either roost on branches.

When it gets super hot, I put 2 liters with frozen water (have to plan ahead and keep old pepsi bottle, fill and freeze with H20) under the bushes for them to sit around.

ALSO freeze blocks of ice to add to their drinking water. Just because I'm not home all day and can't change water all day. The blocks of ice will keep the water cooler longer.

It's just miserable here...........already.......

oh, forgot.........we also bought 3 of the tents with just the top to them and put them up over the areas of the coop that don't have a roof......fit perfectly and provides shade while still allowing the breeze to flow...