Keeping chickens cool in coop from heat

[Firekracker]

Hi I'd like some advice on things I can do temporarily to keep my 9 chickens cool in their coop. I live in Virginia and it's already in the 90's.

I will be getting them an outdoor pen within a month as soon as I get paid but for now, they are confined unfortunately.

I have been freezing 2 liter soda bottles that I filled with water then I place them on their sides on the coop floor in hopes that my girls might snuggle up against them but I think they aren't too keen on them. I make sure to give them fresh cold water multiple times every day and I do add a few ice cubes which they seem to like. It bothers me to see them panting but its not like labored breathing.

Anything else I could do to help them? I love these girls like they're my children and I worry about them. I raised them from 2 days old so I want to keep them happy and safe.

Thanks!

 

[jolly wattles]

YouTube homemade Styrofoam cooler air conditioner.

 

[aldarita]

Any chance that you can place a secured fan in their coop?
Open all the windows for ventilation, but make sure they have hardware cloth so predators cannot get in. If you are able to position the coop in a way that you get cross ventilation it will help a lot

 

[aart]

What kind of ventilation to you have in the coop?
Pics of that, and the whole coop inside and out, would help.
Is your coop in the shade or sun?
Any way to rig a fan where birds can't get at it?

I see windows that don't appear to be fully open, that would be a place to start.
Can they get under the coop?
Might rig up a temporary fence so they can get outside.
Just a small area with 2x4x6 welded wire can usually be pretty easily set up.

 

[Firekracker]

YouTube homemade Styrofoam cooler air conditioner.

I'll check that out! Thanks!

 

[aart]

YouTube homemade Styrofoam cooler air conditioner.

I've wanted to make one of these....can add humidity to coop if you don't use closed ice packs(like the frozen bottles).

 

[jolly wattles]

I've wanted to make one of these....can add humidity to coop if you don't use closed ice packs(like the frozen bottles).

I add 2 frozen milk jugs filled with water. Loose ice doesn't last very long. Works great in a tent.

 

[aart]

I add 2 frozen milk jugs filled with water. Loose ice doesn't last very long. Works great in a tent.

Indeed...and would add to ambient humidity.

How do you power it in a tent?
Am assuming you are camping in an unimproved(no electric) campsite.

 

[jolly wattles]

Battery operated fan you can buy in the camping section at Walmart.

 

[wynn4578]

Can we get pictures of your cool inside and out. Is it in the shade or does it catch sun part or all day? If so you can add a temporary 'attic' to your roof by placing some 2x4's on the roof and stretching a tarp over the chicken house. Make sure it is tight enough to create a gap between the tarp and the roof. This does a couple of things. Keeps the sun from shining directly on the roof and heating up the house. Kind of like putting the house in the shade the gap it creates makes kind of a wind tunnel or natural heat vent that will carry extra heat away from the house. Like others have said a fan inside and plenty of ventilations works wonders as well. My main coop has 2 oscillating fans that sit in opposite corners and run on low during the hot summer months. Between the 2 fans and the tarp I stretch over my thermometer in the coop will usually read about 15 to 20 degrees cooler that outside temps