Sponsored Post It's HOT - Keep your birds feeling their best!

[americana-lover]

wait, so can i give my girls powraid, gatorade, or propel without it harming them?

 

[lgelwell]

I'm in Iowa and were going on week two of 100 plus heat index. I have run the hose though the floor of the run, but as the humidity is so high, I hate adding to it, and it mucks up the run so bad. I have several bowls that I keep in the coop with cold water (for as long as it lasts) that the girls like to stand in. My barred rocks like wading in the water, the others not so much. I do frozen fruits and veggies, leftover pasta salad, etc... you'd be surprised what you can freeze. I try to throw something in the freezer before I go to work.

I also try not to bother the girls too much during the heat of the day. I put our table umbrella in the chain link of the west side of the coop so that they don't "fry" before their time. In the evening when it is cooler and shady in the back yard, I go out and do chicken chores and let the girls free range in the yard.

I really like the idea of the frozen water bottles, All of the girls sleep together huddled in the back of a plastic dog house and I KNOW it has to be sweltering in there, so I'm going to try buring some frozen bottles in the bedding.

Great thread, much needed information!

 

[ChezPoulez]

I don't have burlap bags for the swamp cooler, but is there any other things i could use?
I really don't want to lose any!!!!! I've had them for three months, and i love them tp peices!

100% cotton thermal blankets from the thrift store or yard sale will work. You want 100% cotton, not poly or nylon man made fibers. Cotton absorbs the water so it can cool the air by evaporation. The water will just run off the man made fibers and won't cool the air.

You can also buy burlap by the roll at garden supply centers or Home Depot.
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/outdoo...ardener/3-ft-x-24-ft-natural-burlap-8191.html

 

[ChezPoulez]

How can I get my chickens willingly get into their water pan? They all look at it like its scary! I have it about an inch deep with water?

LOL, bribe them!!! Throw some sunflower seed hearts or some safflower seeds in there. Put some quartered tomatoes in there, or grapes cut in half. Use red grapes at first to get them to accept the idea of the water. They are more drawn to red things.

 

[ChezPoulez]

take a cheap plastic bottle from the dollar store and fill it with water, lightly mist her and be sure to get UNDER her feathers on the skin. its ok if you get a TEENY bit on the eggs. because of the fact that the shell insulates the baby(thats its job too) and they are under momma which will make it a-ok. to get water in her take a eyedropper and,she may not like this but it has to be done,open her mouth using your finger nails and stick it in her beak. squirt it out and do that often.from there you should be good

1. Raising the humidity level of eggs beyond their ideal range can seriously risk the hatch. If you spritz/wet a broody hen, she will carry that moisture in her feathers back to the nest where she will then effectively steam the eggs. I don't think I would mess with her. Offer her lots of fresh water with cut up fruit floating in it like watermelon, apples, strawberries, tomatoes. Leave it close to her nest so she doesn't have to go outside to get a drink.
2. Forcing water into the mouth of an unwilling bird by an untrained hand is a recipe for disaster. Water in the lungs is not a good thing. She's going to be struggling so it's far more likely she'll inhale the water. Offer her plenty of fresh water with cut up fruit. She'll come drink if it's close.

 

[parentwarrior]

This is what I do. I have misters in my cage with a cheap box fan that blows through the droplets of mist. The misters are on during the day only. The fan runs 24 hours. At night I angle it to hit where they roost because our lows at night are still in the 90's. I covered the top of the cage where the misters are with a tarp to help the cool air stay in the area. They didn't like the misters at first but now they love them because it is so much cooler. I also freeze milk jugs with water and put in front of the fan under the misters so the air blows over the jugs. I also have some sand in the cage under the coop, I wet it down every morning. I plan to put small skinny frozen water bottle inside the water dispenser along with the water so it keeps the water cooler also. I live in the Phoenix area, it was 111 today. My guys are hot but comfortable. The cage is a lot cooler than the outside temps with all of this. I heard someone say they use a clear shower curtain on the outside of the cage to hold the cooler air in around the misters and fan. I might try that also to see if that works.
Kris

 

[laughingdog52]

Excellent Idea (cucumbers)--serves 2 purposes. I will plant more cucumbers next year!! Also--I found burlap yardage __extra wide-- at Wal Mart (for swamp/shade cloth). I also have been collecting box fans at yard sales. Each of my Hen Houses has a special window the size of a box fan screened in that I can set up to cool the house each year. Turn it down at night(so far) and the chickens will go in the hen house to sit by the fans to stay cool. No bad weather here yet, but time to get prepared. Thanks for star

ting this thread.

 

[laughingdog52]

Excellent Idea--serves 2 purposes. I will plant more cucumbers next year!! Also--I found burlap yardage __extra wide-- at Wal Mart (for swamp/shade cloth). I also have been collecting box fans at yard sales. Each of my Hen Houses has a special window the size of a box fan screened in that I can set up to cool the house each year. Turn it down at night(so far) and the chickens will go in the hen house to sit by the fans to stay cool. No bad weather here yet, but time to get prepared. Thanks for star

ting this thread.

 

[wildbird1964]

Great Thread, ty all for the Info..lets hope this heat calms down soon..!!!!

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

wait, so can i give my girls powraid, gatorade, or propel without it harming them?

Don't give them too much. Gatorade and drinks like it have a lot of salt that chickens don't need.