Keeping birds cool?

[sevenchickens7]

Could anyone offer some tips to a newbie on ways to keep your flock cool in the sweltering Kansas summer heat? And ways to encourage them to drink?

 

[Gray Farms]

Electrolytes in the water, frozen watermelon treats

 

[sourland]

Provide shade and supply COLD water several times daily. You can also put ice blocks in their waterers to keep the water cool. In times of excessive heat, I supply fresh cold water at least 3 times daily.

 

[centrarchid]

When is gets really hot I make so they have access to ground that is shaded. They can dump heat though their feet. Wetting that ground the evening before can help cool it. Make so when they are in those shaded locations they also have a breeze so they can dump heat by spreading wings and orienting towards incoming air movement. Keep water present and in shaded location so they do not have to get into sun for a drink. Mine drink lots of water even when water is very warm. The ingested water enables evaporation cooling associated with panting. In addition to a cover over their heads, make so that is in the shade as well. Otherwise sunlight striking cover overhead will be transformed into heat that radiates as infrared locally heating area below it. Restrict feed so most intake late in evening and early in the morning. I also expect less in terms of egg production.

Hens in lay and broody hens particularly stressed by the heat.

 

[PeachLily]

After reading suggestions on other threads I froze a 1/4 watermelon and my 11 chickens loved it-lasted 4-5 hours and I noticed they didn't drink as much water that day. I am also going to try a large shallow plastic bin with play sand soaked in water. I read some chickens won't go into a kiddie pool with water so I thought the wet sand instead was a great idea. Other folks use box fans, I saw a couple clever ideas for homemade Chicken AC -- one was a small metal trash can on its side with a milk jug frozen with water placed inside and the other was a "box" made of water soaked cinder block with some kind of roof, maybe a tarp -- the poster said the evaporation off the cinder block made it cool. Any kind of frozen fruit/veggie treats.

 

[AllynTal]

As others have said, I give them ice water. I fill 20-ounce soda bottles with water and freeze them and I keep a gallon of water in the refrigerator. Three or four times a day, I take an ice bottle and the refrigerated water out and l dump the waterer. The chickens come running from all quarters (they free-range) when they see me with the bottles. I put the ice bottle in and pour the cold water over the frozen bottle. They love the cold water and jockey for position so they can drink as I'm pouring it, like a fountain. I don't have to encourage them to drink; they eagerly drink the cold water.