Keeping chickens cool in the summer?

[chickiezar]

My new attempts at heat and humidity.

I tried the frozen water (2 liter method) without a doubt love it.
Added a circulating fan.

I know they can't swim or really put there beaks into deep water, so I came up with plan B.

12" round metal pan.
I measured there current water drinker (that way I knew how much water to add, so my babies didn't drown)

I threw in some frozen green beans to the water and OMG!!!!
IT was green bean bobbin play time.
(Maybe they thought the beans were long green worms.
They had a blast, by the end of the day no beans, no water, (they decided to use it a a cool bath, lol..)

They look at me know like Ma, wheres the pool.....

 

[peahenry]

The lattice area has openings that a snake or weasel can easily get through.
I suggest that you install 1/2x1/2 wire cloth on the inside to keep smaller predators out.

 

[peahenry]

Your pretty babies are so grown that if they had to they would swim!! You can put a larger/wider container in there and fill it up to 4 inches deep and they would be perfectly safe and have more cool refreshment.

 

[lilapot]

I put seeds that float in their water. It encourages them to drink more water and stay hydrated.

What kind of seeds?

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I watch for panting. If they pant I turbo the mister. I don't leave it on all the time because it gets really mucky under it. I put out a lot of pine shavings so the muck isn't too bad. Most of their yard is under a huge oak tree with a breeze so they've only panted a few days. I make sure their food and water are in the shade, too. Once it get so still and hot in August I bring out the big guns: Frozen bottles, frozen fruit and veggies (I don't give corn because corn raises their body temperature), and the fans and the mister will stay on most of the time. The mister hangs in the oak tree.

[/IMG][/IMG][/IMG]

 

[guinealeghorn]

I put a plastic kiddy pool with enough water for them to walk through out for them. They were afraid of it so I added some lettuce (their favorite treat) in the water. Eventually some chickens went in it.

 

[guinealeghorn]

My new attempts at heat and humidity.

I tried the frozen water (2 liter method) without a doubt love it.
Added a circulating fan.

I know they can't swim or really put there beaks into deep water, so I came up with plan B.

12" round metal pan.
I measured there current water drinker (that way I knew how much water to add, so my babies didn't drown)

I threw in some frozen green beans to the water and OMG!!!!
IT was green bean bobbin play time.
(Maybe they thought the beans were long green worms.
They had a blast, by the end of the day no beans, no water, (they decided to use it a a cool bath, lol..)

They look at me know like Ma, wheres the pool.....

My guineas love green beans, so I'll have to try this. Thanks!

 

[twinsmom6]

I have found that the best way to keep chickens cool is to get that air moving there in the BIG L, you may already have a lot of humidity.. but if not put on a mister..
we use fans here in Arizona (a dry heat) to keep the air moving and they love it.. frozen snacks (watermelon a special favorite) also seems to be enjoyable. wading pools and lots of fresh water..
I my experience Fans are the answer... good luck to you

 

[Trish1974]

Last year at the end of the gardening season I froze all the extra tomatoes I was harvesting. They are coming in handy in these mid 90 temps. I throw them out whole and still frozen to the chickens and they peck at them and roll them around and drink the cold juice. Its kind of like frozen fruit treats for chickens!

 

[Petra Pancake]

I recently kind of saved one of my chickens with half-frozen water melon chunks. We had a heat wave one or two weeks ago and I noticed that especially one Leghorn hen was beginning to look very bad. She was panting, stretching out her wings and her comb and wattles were a sickly purple color. Her wattles were also swollen like little balls. I was afraid she might not make it. I didn't want to pour water over her or something and a fan also wasn't an option (no electricity out there). So I just threw lots of pieces of this half frozen water melon into the run. She and the others gobbled it up. The next day she looked already better even though it was still hot. I carried on with the "melon therapy" for another two days and she completely recovered. It was probably the combined effect of icy coolness, liquid and minerals that did it.