It has been super hot in SC

[ericl]

Here is Tulsa Oklahoma the temperature has been 100+ degrees daily ( 111 degrees today).
I am keeping our chickens in the 80 degree crawl space under our home during the day. Why is our crawl space so cool? I believe it is because the dirt under the house is somewhat damp, and that the evaporation of water in the dirt absorbs heat.
Our home is about 1100 square feet. Have 7 small vent openings and the door that is large enough for a person to crawl through.

I truly feel this is a chicken life saver during this Oklahoma heat wave.
A 5 foot by 5 foot wire cage (from Ware Manufacturing) is butted up against the foundation opening, and I keep water and feed in that area.
After the chickens move out from under our house, I will spray the dirt and chicken poop so that bacteria will break down and digest the manure so that the smell is eliminated. eric

 

[Farm_Maven]

here in NE Mississippi this evening at 10:00 pm it was still 107 with the heat index. I have never seen it this hot anywhere!

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
Will try this tonight have a lot of 2 lite soda bottles. going to fill and place in the freezer.

How do you give it to them after freezing....

Some float it in tubs of water, some just lay it in the pen and the chickens lay on the bottles, and then some put it in front of the fan.


Only my silkies get anything "special" - a couple of fans- and I don't give ice unless one is distressed. I treat the other chickens the same as any of our other livestock...shade & fresh water several times a day.

 

[7L Farm]

Ouch its hot. I think they said 107 today & no relief insight. No rain either its only rained about 7 inches all year.

 

[wekiva bird]

Ice in their water and ck on them every 2 hours. I bought a 5000 BTU to put in the coop this am.

 

[nop169]

Here in upstate sc we use a kennel system as a "tractor". I have found that keeping the hens on grass (moving kennel every four days) and spraying the grass with water heavily at night then again around 2 pm keeps the girls comfortable. Since doing this we no longer see them with wings outstreched or panting & egg production has stayed steady. Since doing this we do not have to use ice bottles.
A friend uses a box fan blowing across frozen gallon jugs for hers.
good luck.

 

[dannypritchett01]

It was 106 in Marietta, SC the other day. I was lucky I didnt lose any fowl. I was worried with me being at work. I was thinking about floating frozen water bottles as well but I use 1/2 gallon water cups so they wouldnt fit.