keeping hydrated

My chickens like to eat ice. They did this in the winter eating little bits of ice that formed on the fence. It was abnormally hot yesterday for the time of year so I sprinkled some mini ice cubes in the run for them. They played with some of it and ate some; it seemed to help a little bit although not a lot. Hosing down part of the run's substrate with cold water seemed to do more for them over a longer time frame. Lets them get their feet wet and evaporatively cool as they walk around. I also give them a little wading tub but I had to teach them to use it by picking up each one and standing them in it a couple times; one still doesn't like it that much but a couple others did make reasonably frequent use of it.
 
I wasn't suggesting it would work for you - but for a small flock it is a nice fun cooling treat. Someone else might enjoy trying it.
I wasn't disagreeing, just pointing out that it's a size dependent solution. Though yours carries some of the benefits of fermenting, which mine does not.
 
Mine hate foot baths. I tried all kinds of ways to entice them to step into the shallow 18" planter dish I used, including sprinkling scratch in the middle of it in the water. They'd stretch their rubber hose necks to pick out the scratch, without putting a single toe in the water. They tolerate me holding them in the water, but the moment I let go, they jump out. What they really do love though, is when I hose down the run. It always has holes here and there from them digging, so it forms puddles, which they love sloshing through and drinking from. I leave their favorite dust bathing corner dry, and wet the rest. They scratch through it, walk on it, sit in it, and have all kinds of contact with the cooled-off ground. So that's my go-to method. That, and a chilled watermelon cut in half.
 
What breeds are your birds? I imagine that if they are heat tolerant birds, they won't need or desire foot baths.
When I had multiple breeds, there were always birds making use of them, but my Penedesencas never seem to use them.
 
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Mine hate foot baths. I tried all kinds of ways to entice them to step into the shallow 18" planter dish I used,
I think it's very much an individual bird thing. I have one that really seems to love it, and will immediately get in and stand in the center, while other birds will only dip a toe or two in.
 

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