It's HOT! Another heat thread

[Mahonri]

110 here today with high humidity for us... (20%)

I have a broody area, two pens and an 8X12 coop. The coop has a 10,000 btu AC unit the others suffer with cold water. But they are alive.

Wish the rain down Tucson way would move north!

 

[ashedd]

Quote:

According to wunderground we are at 79% humidity.

 

[txliss]

I take out treats mixed with chipped ice. I know someone who sticks a layer of ice under a layer of sand for the birdies to sit on....

Bein' in Texas, the ladies are (mostly) used to the heat - it was this past winter's unusual cold that was really hard on them.

 

[so lucky]

Here in southeast Missouri the heat has been unrelenting, as well. No rain in a long time, and always high humidity. At least we have had a breeze most days. In addition to a fan in the chicken run, I have been keeping a frozen half gallon jug of water in their water pan, and laying a gallon frozen jug on its side in the shade. Some of the girls have learned to stand on the jug, to keep their feet cool. Hopefully, they lie beside it too. I also give them cold or frozen fruit and vegetables as treats. When the go to roost, I turn the fan to them, on low. Tomorrow morning I am going to hose down the run before I let them out of the coop. (they hate to be sprinkled!) My DH is convinced I am nuts.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

I soak mine chickens in a kiddy pool when they start to pant.

works rather well

 

[sheila3935]

I've been putting ice and electrolytes in their water they all have fans. One coop has 3 one has 2 and the other has 1. I've been leaving the sprinkler on all day. The ducks lay in their pool with the sprinkler spraying on them. The chickens I noticed today were going over to the sprinkler and wadding in the puddles. I've been worrying about my young ones cause they cant free range and get to the sprinkler, so tonight I let them out for the first time. There was very little pecking. They are almost as big as the older ones and there are more of them so I think that helped. Tonight I put a frozen milk jug on the cage where the majority of the babies sleep. Tomorrow I am going to let the babies out all day before I go to work. DH will watch to make sure they dont get bullied. We have 4 more days of this crazy heat and humidity before we are suppose to get a break. Monday - Wednesday its only supposed to get to the upper 80s and lows in the 60's. I couldnt even bring my chickens in if I wanted to. It wouldnt do any good. We dont have AC, so its just as hot in the house as their coops. Right now its 85 with the heat index at 97.

 

[gale65]

I'm in Indiana too and it's been so hot here. I have 2 liter bottles in the freezer but those are for our rabbits. We have 6 bottles in rotation and our freezers (3 of them including the one attached to the fridge) can barely keep up. About half the time we're putting only about half frozen bottles out and replacing them more often because they don't get all the way frozen. So I can't do that for the chickens too. Unfortunately I have to choose and the rabbits have a worse time in the heat than the chickens do. Our chicks are only 8 weeks old and not laying though, so they probably aren't as sensitive to the heat. In fact, they have a lot of shade and I put ice cubes in the water and give them frozen tomatoes and grapes but they won't eat them when they are frozen and then they all huddle together in a bunch in the shade. If they would lay away from each other they'd be a lot cooler, I think. I'm going to look for a clip on fan this week to put in the coop but our coop is only 4 x 6 and not much room so I can't put in a big fan. But doesn't a fan just move the hot air around anyway? Wouldn't it make more sense to use a fan to draw the hot air out of the coop instead?

Bringing them in the house is completely out of the question. I know people here don't mind chickens in the house but we don't even bring chicks in. I don't even have them NEAR the house, much less in it.

 

[lfoose]

I have a fan in my coop and pans of water in the run. They like to stand in the water. I also will give them watermelon. That is cool and refreshing and full of water.

Yesterday though I had to bring one of my hens into the basement. She was hot to the touch, crouched in the corner w/her wings open and not looking too good. She's perked up since I brought her in but doesn't seem to be back to normal.

 

[laturcotte1]

We are in the northeast and today starts the heatwave, triple digits I hear. My feathered friends wake up and are out of the coop at 6:15am at 6:30am they are let out of their run. They peck around a little and head straight for the goats yard where they stay most of the day. The yard is surrounded by thick bushes and thats where they stay until 2:00 when they go back home to eat and their run in gets closed. I then spray the entire run with the hose including their trees, perches, coop, they DO NOT like getting wet. I think by letting them free range helps them to find the coolest places. Every night they head back in the coop so it can't be that hot. We do, however, have 3 pop doors and 4 windows which helps. Barred Rocks are pretty hardy in heat and cold.

 

[Mattemma]

When I let the dogs out at 8:30am it was humid hot.Despite the neighbors(corwing issue) I let the chickens out.Poor things are panting in the metal shed.If I put them in the back yard they have the wooded area to cool down in.

I was thinking of adding some ice to their water.Hmmm maybe I will fill a garbage can lid with water.I was going to give them watermelon from the fridge too!