How to raise chicken in hot weather?

[sandburRanch]

Yes , i agree because my ole body has been in both situations and all the in between many many times with Swamp Coolers and refrigerated cooling , but we would need to transpose our bodies into a chicken to know for sure , unless i could get a $2.2 million government grant to research this subject .

 

[ninafe]

Thanks for all the tips guys!!! Our patio is very shaded and their coop has ventilation. I only plan on locking them in the actual coop from 9 pm- 6 am. The rest of the time they will be in the run that is also on our patio with shade. I will also monitor and see if they get too hot. My hope is that they get used to the heat, instead of relying on all different measures (ice, fan, mist, etc) and that anything additional would be a treat.

 

[3KillerBs]

the run that is also on our patio with shade.

Can you give them access to the ground?

One of the primary ways mine manage heat is to dig into the earth to find the cool layers down below. It's not obvious in the photos in the article, but they get deep enough that their backs are level with the ground surface.

 

[Robind15]

Hello! First time backyard chicken owner here. I have four 4 week old pullets that are currently housed in our garage (well ventilated and lit) and are about to be moved out to our covered patio outside here in a few weeks. To train them to get used to the outside, I have been putting them in our backyard in an enclosure for half an hour every day. I live in Houston and it's already 90F outside. Today I noticed all four chicks started panting, lying down lopsided with wings open just a few mins into their backyard adventure. I quickly pulled them inside and they were okay.

Well... Houston isn't gonna get any cooler until maybe October or so...until then, what can I do to make sure the chicks don't overheat? I've been digging around on this forum and the common things are ice cubes, water pan, frozen treats, a small fan next to coop (their coop and run is under the shaded patio.) No one is at the house during the day between 7am- 5pm so ice cubes won't last long at all... What else would you suggest? Thank you!

Hi! I live in Florida. I got 24 chickens.

For som frozen treats I freeze sliced watermelon or freeze water and bird seed in muffin tin. Little bird icicles.

I bought a 20$ box fan and zip tied it to their run fence so they have a breeze 24/7.

Definitely put electrolytes in their water!

I hose down their run to have it cool off their feet.

Provide lots of shade too.

 

[ninafe]

For som frozen treats I freeze sliced watermelon or freeze water and bird seed in muffin tin. Little bird icicles.

Little bird icicles! Yummy! Will definitely try that. Thanks

 

[bertogomus]

Hello! First time backyard chicken owner here. I have four 4 week old pullets that are currently housed in our garage (well ventilated and lit) and are about to be moved out to our covered patio outside here in a few weeks. To train them to get used to the outside, I have been putting them in our backyard in an enclosure for half an hour every day. I live in Houston and it's already 90F outside. Today I noticed all four chicks started panting, lying down lopsided with wings open just a few mins into their backyard adventure. I quickly pulled them inside and they were okay.

Well... Houston isn't gonna get any cooler until maybe October or so...until then, what can I do to make sure the chicks don't overheat? I've been digging around on this forum and the common things are ice cubes, water pan, frozen treats, a small fan next to coop (their coop and run is under the shaded patio.) No one is at the house during the day between 7am- 5pm so ice cubes won't last long at all... What else would you suggest? Thank you!

I have 7 new babies, at this point they are about 7 weeks. From the first day I got them, I would put their box on the front porch in the sun. Now, they are outside, weather permitting in a transition cage. It got 96 here the other day in Oklahoma!!! Mine were panting, but they were ok. The place I keep them is hotter than that. There was a big wind, so that helped. I just made sure they had fresh cool water that day. It is something to be concerned about, but acclimating them does help.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Hi! I live in Louisiana so I know what hot weather is! What I do for their wagerers, is whenever I fill it up, before you put any water in, fill it up with ice then put water in. This will help it stay cool for a little while. As long as the chickens have a shaded area, they should be fine. My chickens have made it through some pretty hot weather! You will have to keep an eye on how much water they're drinking because they will drink more as it gets hotter. Good luck with the chickens!

 

[Ebony Rose]

Hello! First time backyard chicken owner here. I have four 4 week old pullets that are currently housed in our garage (well ventilated and lit) and are about to be moved out to our covered patio outside here in a few weeks. To train them to get used to the outside, I have been putting them in our backyard in an enclosure for half an hour every day. I live in Houston and it's already 90F outside. Today I noticed all four chicks started panting, lying down lopsided with wings open just a few mins into their backyard adventure. I quickly pulled them inside and they were okay.

Well... Houston isn't gonna get any cooler until maybe October or so...until then, what can I do to make sure the chicks don't overheat? I've been digging around on this forum and the common things are ice cubes, water pan, frozen treats, a small fan next to coop (their coop and run is under the shaded patio.) No one is at the house during the day between 7am- 5pm so ice cubes won't last long at all... What else would you suggest? Thank you!

I live in Panama, near the equator. Hot and humid year round.

Tuppermaid/Rubbermaid type tote WITH LID filled with water and 'ice block' made with a water filled plastic milk jug (with cap so you don't have to refill it daily). In the morning, take your frozen milk jug and drop it into your tote that you've positioned in DEEP shade somewhere in your flock's space, put the lid on the tote (because your birds are so young, they could drown if they got in, as they get older, that threat diminishes dramatically). At bedtime, grab and dry that milk jug and put it into the freezer overnight to reuse the next day. Your birds will 'cuddle up' to the tote to reduce their core temperature. Once they're adults, when the risk of drowning has passed (chickens do NOT swim) you can remove the tote lid and allow them to drink that cooled water throughout the day as well.
If you do not have deep shade in their area, then you'll need to consider how to get some. I now have some mature trees that provide a corner of very deep shade that my flock enjoys, but years ago, before the trees matured, I used a sheet of zinc roofing material, I could only get red at the time, so turned it non-painted side up to reflect more heat away from the structure, and leaned it up against a building to make a sort of lean-to. I would have preferred to have used white, as the silvery side is kind of 'shiny' (glare) when the sun hits it just so... and painted roofing zinc would have eliminated that.
Ensure that they have a dry, dirt or sand hole, somewhere on the property that is in deep shade, as bathing is a favorite pass time when it's hot and muggy, and the cool dirt they dig up and toss onto themselves will help keep their skin and feathers in top shape while entertaining and cooling them. This space should be large enough for at least three adult birds to enjoy simultaneously. (think of this as their version of a 'pool party').
Consider freezing their allotment of treats for the day and serving them during the heat of the day. A bag of diced carrots with peas from the freezer section at the grocer makes an excellent, handy, summertime treat that's no added effort to prepare for them. Remember to keep treats to no more than 10% of their total daily diet. Watermelon is a HUGE hit with chickens and has a very high water content. Be advised that seed eaten by your girls today could very well become a harvest next year... If these girls are going to have free range on your front lawn, consider how you'd feel if watermelon, cantaloupe, papaya, pumpkin etc., were to spring up next year.

 

[ninafe]

Can you give them access to the ground?

One of the primary ways mine manage heat is to dig into the earth to find the cool layers down below. It's not obvious in the photos in the article, but they get deep enough that their backs are level with the ground surface.

They have access to the ground but not during the day while im at work. When I get back home I move them into another run that is set up on the grass. In terms of being able to dig into the earth- can I just have a deep layer of pine shaving in the run that is set up on the patio? I noticed even now the chicks would dig through the pines in their brooder and almost like want to go underneath and use the pine shaving as a blanket.

 

[ninafe]

Consider freezing their allotment of treats for the day and serving them during the heat of the day. A bag of diced carrots with peas from the freezer section at the grocer makes an excellent, handy, summertime treat that's no added effort to prepare for them. Remember to keep treats to no more than 10% of their total daily diet. Watermelon is a HUGE hit with chickens and has a very high water content. Be advised that seed eaten by your girls today could very well become a harvest next year... If these girls are going to have free range on your front lawn, consider how you'd feel if watermelon, cantaloupe, papaya, pumpkin etc., were to spring up next year.

Awesome AWESOME tips! Thank you! Considering the fact that i can barely keep any plants alive, it'd be nice to have some help from the chickens to grow some fruits and vegetables!