Keeping Chickens cool

[Cheetah_Beat]

Hi! First time chicken owner here so, sorry if my question is dumb.

I live in a hot climated area and as summer gets closer, what is a few ways to keep chickens cool?

Currently it has been getting pretty hot as it is and my chickens keep panting and hiding in the coop. I know they can get stressed by the heat so I want to keep them as cool as I can. Any tips and tricks are appreciated!

 

[springvalley123]

Hi, and welcome to BYC!

Where are you? I'm in arizona. Used to have chickens, but moved to the city so I have quail. I used to do what so many are still doing:

shallow trays/wading pools with cool water or ice blocks melting in them, for the birds to stand in to cool off;

misting fan, some fit on top of a pickle bucket, or a misting system;

Running a hose into a shady tree well

Shade, and more shade!

Don't fret if the first time it turns 80, you see panting--they need to get acclimated and a sudden heat wave can scare you.

Make sure your coop/roost is at least as cool as the outside.

It's hard when the heat of the day comes at roost time too. I used to have a small swamp cooler aimed at the roost. The birds lounged under the porch with trays of cool water/ice during the day, but at roost time, that would be a bit difficult!

 

[Alexandra Runner]

I freeze carrot peels covered in water into blocks and let them peck and eat at it along with the tips above!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

What is your coop like? I'm in Oregon with a insulated coop. People will tell you not to insulate your coop. Yet when we have high temps, which we do even if not like AZ, I'm really glad the coop is insulation. It's 10-15 degrees cooler in my coop, stepping in it I feel a rush of cool air, it's awesome.

 

[aart]

These are the things that I do:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

I live in a hot climated area

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[The Welch Chickens]

Hi! First time chicken owner here so, sorry if my question is dumb.

I live in a hot climated area and as summer gets closer, what is a few ways to keep chickens cool?

Currently it has been getting pretty hot as it is and my chickens keep panting and hiding in the coop. I know they can get stressed by the heat so I want to keep them as cool as I can. Any tips and tricks are appreciated!

Not a dumb question at all!
There are several great articles on keeping your flock cool; here are a few:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/top-ways-to-keep-your-chickens-cool-in-summer.76731/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...mer-tips-for-a-happy-and-healthy-flock.78663/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...feathered-friends-cool-and-comfortable.78653/

Good luck with your flock, and welcome to BYC!

 

[alinas2010]

Welcome to BYC!! You’ve already been given some wonderful advice, but I wanted to add one helpful thing we do in the summertime.

We spray everything down in the morning with the hose or let the sprinkler run for an hour or so. And by everything I mean the grass, the trees, the sidewalk - basically anywhere the chickens will be. It creates an evaporative cooling effect. We do this again in the afternoon and let the hose run for a while to give them a cool stream to walk in for a bit. In the evening I end up spraying the coop down really really well with the hose. I’ve found these actions help the most to keep them cool in the summer!

 

[Cheetah_Beat]

Hi, and welcome to BYC!

Where are you? I'm in arizona. Used to have chickens, but moved to the city so I have quail. I used to do what so many are still doing:

shallow trays/wading pools with cool water or ice blocks melting in them, for the birds to stand in to cool off;

misting fan, some fit on top of a pickle bucket, or a misting system;

Running a hose into a shady tree well

Shade, and more shade!

Don't fret if the first time it turns 80, you see panting--they need to get acclimated and a sudden heat wave can scare you.

Make sure your coop/roost is at least as cool as the outside.

It's hard when the heat of the day comes at roost time too. I used to have a small swamp cooler aimed at the roost. The birds lounged under the porch with trays of cool water/ice during the day, but at roost time, that would be a bit difficult!

I live in Florida, so we have feels like temperature, sadly. For those who don't know, it is pretty much the weather is 95F, but it feels like it is 105F.
Once I make a new coop (cause chicken math is a thing), I will see about adding a fan. The new coop will be in a mostly shaded area with only 3-5 hours of direct sun. During hot days, I might see about going out and misting them or wetting some soil for them to chill in. I did see about the kiddie pool and filling it with water and ice.
Thank you so much for the tips!

 

[Cheetah_Beat]

I freeze carrot peels covered in water into blocks and let them peck and eat at it along with the tips above!

Oh, that is creative! I had a carrot in my fridge that had been in really cold water for a few days, and I broke chunks off for them, and they seemed to love it. I will for sure try this when the really hot season happens.
Thank you for the idea!

 

[Cheetah_Beat]

What is your coop like? I'm in Oregon with a insulated coop. People will tell you not to insulate your coop. Yet when we have high temps, which we do even if not like AZ, I'm really glad the coop is insulation. It's 10-15 degrees cooler in my coop, stepping in it I feel a rush of cool air, it's awesome.

It is a basic coop that fits my two (originally 3) buff opingtonsxlight Brahams. The new coop will be bigger (cause of chicken math), but I thought insulation wouldn't be a good cause of the heat. I might see about partially insulating it then. Is there a type of insulation you recommend?