Keeping cool in the summer

[Oddball Flock]

I'm in california and we have officially hit 100° weather. I'm wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks to keep my babies refreshed and cool for the already dreaded summer. All ideas are appreciated. Thanks

 

[PD-Riverman]

Set up some shade and use misters to cool the dirt/area in the shaded area.

 

[Noreaster Egger]

I'm in NH, but my bigger birds struggled with a couple days of 90F+ heat last week. I'm considering digging down into the ground a bit and adding a small kiddie pool. I wouldn't go very deep with the water...just enough so they can wade in it. I'll probably put some small rocks and sand on the bottom too so they don't slip. We had an 80F day in early April while the snow was melting and they enjoyed walking through the deep puddles in the yard then.

 

[meetthebubus]

I'm at 104 and we'll go up as high as 120 some days.
I re-use plastic jugs like from juice and deep freeze from big to small sizes, using faucet water
We put up a mansion a big enclosure where they can get away from the direct rays and I put the ice in there they will sit next to it and I leave the top off so as it melts they will sip the cool water from the neck of the jug I refill at end of day and freeze again!

I also put in ice into their water I have shade and misters on the outside for when they're out there they'll dust bathe where the mister have cooled the dirt down so that helps too.

I have water puddles where they'll drink and stand in to cool their feet that helps

And lastly I have an Air Conditioner in the mansion that I turn on 80 during the hottest part of day so they have a reprieve since it gets so hot they wouldn't make it otherwise

You can see some of these things in the link in my signature if you want

 

[Frazzemrat1]

freeze some yummie stuff with water in a muffin tin and give them some of that... a poster brought it up in the treat thread, and zoos do that all the time with their animals.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Frozen milk jugs with a fan blowing over them are good. As well as frozen peas for a treat.

 

[PD-Riverman]

For those of you that are not familiar---this it the system I am talking about. I only use it for a few pens but the chickens Love it and stand below it. I turn it on when the temp gets into the 90's for a while. I am planning to put it on a flip/flop timer so its on a few, off a few. Does not use a lot of water. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Outdoor-Mis...845914?hash=item2a6ba8b8da:g:tjUAAOSw-KFXeoP2

 

[Noreaster Egger]

For those of you that are not familiar---this it the system I am talking about. I only use it for a few pens but the chickens Love it and stand below it. I turn it on when the temp gets into the 90's for a while. I am planning to put it on a flip/flop timer so its on a few, off a few. Does not use a lot of water. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Outdoor-Mis...845914?hash=item2a6ba8b8da:g:tjUAAOSw-KFXeoP2

What's the gallons per min usage on that?

 

[PD-Riverman]

What's the gallons per min usage on that?

Its according to the size you get or set-up. Real low----a few nozzles would be 1 to 2 GPH(hour) a big set-up like 30 heads might use 5 to 10 gph. Its Just Mist! Some people set-up like 3 or 4 nozzles attached to oscillating fan and they work good---even for rabbits.

 

[Noreaster Egger]

Its according to the size you get or set-up. Real low----a few nozzles would be 1 to 2 GPH(hour) a big set-up might be 5 to 10 gph. Its Just Mist! Some people set-up like 3 or 4 nozzles attached to oscillating fan and they work good---even for rabbits.

I've checked out those Fogg-It misting nozzles before. Their "superfine" nozzle is 1/2 GPM (30 GPH) and their "super-superfine" nozzle is 1/4 GPM (15 GPH). I believe their higher rate misters are 1, 2, and 4 GPM. So setting up a system of fine misters would be a few GPM which really adds up over an afternoon...especially for me with a fussy well.