It's 100 degrees in the coop

[kburen]

We had a few really hot days (and have many more coming). My husband went and got a cheap bathroom fan/vent from home depot and installed it in the coop. He hooked a tube to it to let it circulate a bit better and it seems to have helped a lot. They still pant, but we feel a huge difference ourselves in there. We also put a piece of plywood at an angle to give them a small area of shade and they like to hide in that. Next on the list in a small kiddie pool from walmart

 

[Nicole01]

I should run the fan idea to my husband. It's also good for ventilation as well. We have an outlet for the heat lamp and also a nice light in there, so eletricicy is not a problem.

I have the chicks back in the house again, the tarp is not keeping them cool enough. It's even hotter outside today. Luckily, it's not always so blasted hot. Once it's past 95 and humid out there is when I notice the chicks have a hard time fairing the weather.

 

[cfdf]

Quote:
What's a "swamp cooler"?

I've also heard them called "water coolers." I think if you google how to make a Swamp Cooler it should bring something up for you. I bought mine at a garage sale for $25. I have seen new ones sale for $600. It's sorta like a very large window unit. Inside it there is a fan that rotates and blows air...while a pump..pumps water up 3 tubes going to the top of three sides. The water is then disbursed into a small trough that drips down into a filter into a pan in the bottom of the cooler....where the water is then sucked up again...it's a continuous cycle. There is a float in the bottom of the cooler that allows water from a hose to flow into the bottom pan....that way the cooler always has water. At night I can just turn the fan on and leave the pump off. It stays plenty cool at night with just the fan on low. I have felt the water in the bottom of the cooler and even with the heat in the 100's it feels ice cold. It really works great! What I'm not sure about right now is how much it will make my water bill go up.

 

[GrannysRoost]

A swamp cooler will not work in MN..it is for desert areas with not much humidity...Nicole, kudos for bringing them in....just put up something in the run to shade them, they should adjust....we are 100's plus with mega sun, no humidity, and with some cold treats, regular changes of water, ice bottles, they are doing fine....now to get my inside kids outside...Sure hope that weather changes before I come up to see kids and haul grandkids back to experience heat

 

[Betsy57]

Quote:
What's a "swamp cooler"?

I've also heard them called "water coolers." I think if you google how to make a Swamp Cooler it should bring something up for you. I bought mine at a garage sale for $25. I have seen new ones sale for $600. It's sorta like a very large window unit. Inside it there is a fan that rotates and blows air...while a pump..pumps water up 3 tubes going to the top of three sides. The water is then disbursed into a small trough that drips down into a filter into a pan in the bottom of the cooler....where the water is then sucked up again...it's a continuous cycle. There is a float in the bottom of the cooler that allows water from a hose to flow into the bottom pan....that way the cooler always has water. At night I can just turn the fan on and leave the pump off. It stays plenty cool at night with just the fan on low. I have felt the water in the bottom of the cooler and even with the heat in the 100's it feels ice cold. It really works great! What I'm not sure about right now is how much it will make my water bill go up.

So it is to cool the water they drink or it cools the air? How 'bout a picture of it?

 

[turbodog]

Quote:
It cools the air.

They work well in areas that have low humidity since they work off evaporation. Not so good in places like the Gulf South.

 

[Nicole01]

I ended up bringing all the chicks in last night. I thought I was going to lose a couple(my feathered footed ones). They were all flat to the ground panting like crazy at 95 degrees. That was with a fan and the sun was down. They slept in 2 kennels in the basement.

I wonder if a ceiling fan would work? I'm so grateful today's high is in the 70's. The chicks are much happier and running like crazy. . Anyways, I'd bring them in again if the temps ever that high. It was over 100 degrees and muggy. I'll have to buy an x-pen for the basement.

 

[ninabeast]

Getting up into the 90s here in Albany today and tomorrow. I just put a fan in there which terrified them until they saw something else and went all..." Ooo! Shiny." Next step is to put two jugs of frozen water in front of the fan. Should work, yes? I only need the coop about ten degrees cooler.

 

[KFox]

I'm freezing water bottles and hiding them under pine shavings. I put some big creek rocks in the shade and once they are cool, I rinse them off with colder water and give them to the chickens. They lay on them and it cools them off fairly quickly. I've dug them a few holes in their run and sprayed the dirt down with water. I covered half of the run with tarp to provide shade. I've given the little bantams some concrete blocks with the two holes. The holes provide shade and it's cool. They are doing great with those. I've also been taking them frozen fruit during the hottest part of the day.

Good luck keeping cool!

 

[ninabeast]

They like frozen chopped spinach!