keeping chickens cool in summer heat

[RoseMarie1]

They seriously do like the slip and slide. LOL

lol that's a hoot. but it works it looks like.

 

[Meanstreak]

Lol hey, the kids like it, the ducks play in it, and the chickens think it's a water fountain. And they're only like $10. Lol

 

[FishaRneKed]

I live in New Orleans, we dont even have winter. We have summer, hotter summer, hottest summer, and less hot summer with 99% humidity all year...

Anyways, underneath my 14x20 foot graceland shed (on 1ft of blocks) must be really cool! The dogs go in the shed (has window a/c) but the chickens go under the shed and stay there from 11am till 3pm. So I left them an open space to go under there freely but not large enough for the dogs to fit.

so, a low to the ground structure that blocks all of the suns radiant heat would be the best protection from heat.

also, they love moist sand in the shade they will flap around and bathe to keep cool.

 

[beccaWA]

Wow. It gets hot here in Eastern WA state. It's been over 90 for about 5 days, and is now near 100 or 100+ for the next week. The best investment I ever made to help my chickens was 20 foot long misting hoses. I got two, and hung them in the big spruce trees that they hang out under. It's incredible the difference. Before I was running sprinklers, watering down the area under the trees, etc. and they were still hot. It was almost 100 today and nobody even panted! Produces a very fine mist. Evaporative cooling. You can get them at home improvement stores.

I also put giant ice cube in their waterers (made in plastic pop bottles), and feed cold melon, and I still do run sprinklers around the trees.

Misters! Great for the chickens.

 

[GaChick34]

I've got a fan in the coop and it stays on high 24/7. The chickens love it and will stay in front of it. I'm def going to get a misting system. I'm not sure how to have that going when my hose is hooked up to their chicken fountain, though. We only have one spigot in the backyard. Maybe I can find a Y adaptor to out on the spigot and attach hoses to that. ?

 

[MarcoPollo]

GaChick34 - yes get a garden hose y-connector! We have one and it makes it so much easier. I used to have to switch the hose all the time for the garden sprinkler but now the spigot can stay hooked up to the sprinkler and I can also use a water hose for the chickens.

 

[beccaWA]

Yeah, I have a Y connector on the one that's on the house, found that wasn't enough, so now I have a 4-way splitter. Can run the misters, a sprinkler for the yard, one for the ducks, and an extra hose with a sprayer on it in case of emergency or just to wet down an area.

 

[MMSculpture]

That bucket cooler is an excellent idea! I have misters and fans but a cheap misting fan is awesome I'm going to make one.

 

[troy4]

whenever im feeling water i raise my hose in the air or directly spray at the hens just have it on ;light and spray around.I spray the coop and on the inside it gets super cool.Also cool dirt helps.I made a dust bathing spot where its in shade accept I put tent up for mines.Also when i feed them it gets a bit crwoded so i spreaded my feeds and waterers out.I also have roost just in case down there it gets a bit crowded and they can rest on roost outside.Heres soem pics.

 

[plm6846]

Live in Arizona, 110 today lost two of our girls today, we are now down 3 from our flock of 13. I put up burlap and get it wet works like a water cooler, but unless the girls get out of the run they just can't cool down. We have airborne predators and coyotes. Lost one to hawk 2 days ago. Haven't found anything to really keep girls cool except wet dirt...the horse pee puddles are a favorite, but I wet areas well so they can lay in clean mud..it will be hotter the rest if this week...we are trying ideas for keeping them cool... May get to 118!!