Keeping a brooder box cool?

[ChaoSS]

How does everyone else in hot climates keep the brooder box cool in the summer? I moved a set of Cornish cross out into my shed last night, they've grown a bit too large to keep in boxers in the house. I didn't realize it was going to be quite so hot this week. Nearly cooked them today, and tomorrow us hotter. I put a fan on them and a sprinkler on the shed to cool it a bit, avoided killing them, but I'd like to keep them alive through the 100 plus degree temps coming up. I can pull them out of the shed but it might be hard to keep them out of direct sunshine. The plan for grown chickens is misters, but I can't do that in the box, I'd soak it. I have some frozen bottles in the freezer I'm going to try to put out with them tomorrow. Not sure how much that will do though.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

The frozen bottles will help. If you have a low tub, you could put one in it and put a couple of inches of water in the bottom. They'll drink it and stand in it too cool themselves. Frozen fruits, like melons, really help cool them down too.

Good luck!

 

[ChaoSS]

I could probably find something, maybe just shove an old stainless steel dog water bowl into the wood shavings, put a block of wood into it so they have a step to get out if needed....

Today I'm going to try using the fan and an ice jug or two, see how well it works. It was so much easier when they were inside, but they were out of room and really starting to stink. I got home this morning and they were huddled up under the heat lamp looking for all the world like they were flat out miserably cold, but no one was dead, so I'm counting that as a plus. I gave them their food back, and they went after it pretty well. Few minutes later they were all back under the lamp. It sucks, it's lows in the 50s and highs in the 90s right now with one high this week over a hundred.


Last night I was looking at air conditioners, the little room ones, wondering how well that would cool a metal shed in those kinds of temperatures. Didn't look like it used too much power, but I don't know that I want to spend 130 bucks for something I'm not going to be using for much. Guess we'll see how it goes today.