keeping chickens cool in summer heat

[mclanea]

Easily over 100 yesterday for several hours. Reading on the thermometer in the run hovered around 105-110 most of the afternoon. But they were in shade the whole day... which seems to be the big thing, shade. Also, the thermometer is about a foot below the roof and I bet the ground was a few degrees cooler.

The cold water seemed to be appreciated. Putting ice in a water dish seemed a little less popular, but lasted longer. I put an ice block in there and didn't see them do anything with it. (At least when I was around) We also gave them some strawberry tops leftover from dinner prep... that seemed to be the one thing I did all day that they were stoked about!

I checked on them several times and they were mostly just chilling in the dust taking it easy. No panting or real signs of stress. (woot!)

Today I put a couple bricks in there with a block of ice in between... curious if they will hang out on the bricks to stay cool?

Thanks for all the tips in this thread. SoCal heat wave should break today.

 

[mclanea]

Update. Just over 110 in the sun, 105 in the run.

Seems like they are doing fine. All are kind of sitting or huddling around these brick/ice combos.

 

[twinsmom6]

DIY ac with frozen jugs of water and fan inside. dropped temp from 105 to 80
chicken loving cool air
frozen treats
sorry can not flip for some reason..

 

[mclanea]

DIY ac with frozen jugs of water and fan inside. dropped temp from 105 to 80
chicken loving cool air
frozen treats
sorry can not flip for some reason..

Really good. Forgot about the DIY swamp cooler. This is supposed to break tonight but I'm basically freezing anything I can find that'll hold water right now. I think they are entertained by my concern...

 

[pamandtony]

It's great getting new ideas from the replies. This will be my chicks first summer and it will be upper 90's tomorrow (
I froze watermelon halves and set one out for them. They loved it and almost ate it all over a few hours. I also add ice to their water feeder.

 

[Cluckerville]

Hello, in the Phoenix valley I have a 16 x 16' run which Has sun shade, a misting system, a mixing tub with 4 frozen gallons of water, an external high velocity fan and a 1 gallon thermos which I place a frozen water jug and electrolytes in with the nipple system.

Others have lost some of their girls as the temperature has already exceeded 115.

For their 6 x 6' playhouse coop I have fans on both windows (blowing in and out) and a screen door. I've also added a canopy to keep some of the heat off the roof an off of the hotest window. The coop has sand for litter. The temp gauge states its 110 within the coop.

Does anyone have additional ideas to combat the heat within the coop?

 

[Lkcoop66]

Glad to hear so many of you are doing the same thing we are to try and keep are chickens cool in this hot summer heat. We use the wading pool, fans and the frozen bottles of water and are still getting quite a few eggs every day, so far. This forum is very informative, thank you to all of you.

 

[sfcDonL]

Our chicks are 6 weeks old and it's been in the 90's for the last couple of weeks. (SC) I've been putting cold watermelon in the coop along with 2 gallon plastic storage containers. Allow room for ice expansion. They either stand or lay next to the containers. I have a box fan running 24/7 to keep a constant cross breeze at the 2 screen windows. I leave the people size screen door open as well as the nesting box door. The boxes are screened because they're not laying yet. I'm trying to get them to come down under the pen where there is fresh grass and shade. I will try wetting it to make puddles for them. I was filling their 1 gallon waterer with ice then topping it off with water and electrolyte but they don't like the ice water so I only use 2 trays now.

 

[bobby2170]

hi everyone. the past few days have been in the 80s here and it's not supposed to cool down. one of my chickens has been panting a little bit which is what got me concerned about the heat. we don't have electricity in out coop so I can't put a fan out. what else could I do? I have ice in their water and a small pool for them. their whole run is in the shade.

 

[Agarshak]

I love out here in Arizona where it is hot. I am doing the same as you. I freeze watermelon in half of milk jugs, I freeze, corn, Applesauce ect...I freeze what ever they eat..my girls also have a mist system too?.