Keeping the Girls Cool in 90s & 100s temperature...?

[FowlWitch]

Hi All,

I have 10 young girls (2 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Lavendar Orpingtons, 2 Ameraucanas, 2 Barred Rock Plymouths, and 2 New Hampshire Reds) which I selected because of their Heat/Cold tolerances and their gentleness and who are supposed to start laying in the next couples of weeks. I go out every day and put large ice into their waterers (think Dixie Cups when we were younger but not flavored - just water that I have frozen). I give them slices of frozen watermelon, peas, corn, carrots, green beans) as well as chilled treats. I live in what is known as the high desert - above 4,500 ft but hot, dry, sometimes very windy....dry...dry...dry! Average humidity is about 30-35%...not much at all.

Anyway, I see all of my girls panting - mouths agape - and holding their wings out a bit away from their bodies. I have a covered integrated coop and run with nesting box on the east side.

I am worried and am considering buying one of those portable misting systems that you hook up to a garden hose and use it to help cool them down. I found this one on Amazon...https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004INGNPG/?tag=backy-20

Anyway, I am a newbie and want to know if I am over-reacting?

Also, I have them on grower feed and think I am supposed to covert over to layer feed ONCE they start laying...is that true or should I be giving them layer feed now knowing they will be laying soon?

Most importantly, is their behavior normal? Mouths open, wings slightly opened away from their bodies?

This is off topic, but can I ask what model/make your run is, where you bought it, and how much it cost? I really like it

 

[aart]

What is apparent here (It was 106 Fahrenheit midday today)

Curious what your humidity levels are?

However there is shade and shade. A single layer placed a few feet above a run, or shelter can easily trap the rising hot air

True Dat! I have some 70% shade cloths ad they are barely effective.

There have been a few studies which have indicated that extra protein can be beneficial in hotter climates, so it couldn't hurt. Corn has a warming effect when digested, so keep that as a winter-only treat.

Higher protein feed can help because they eat less volume when it's hot.
The corn having a warming effect is a bit of a fallacy, any digestion creates 'heat' and most feeds are corn based anyway.

 

[aart]

This is off topic, but can I ask what model/make your run is, where you bought it, and how much it cost? I really like it

A quick search of OP's 'topics started' turned up this post with link to coop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/nesting-boxes-sitting-on-north-south-east-west.1296403/

 

[hispoptart]

The OP did get breeds suitable for the environment. I live about 20 miles away from the OP. We get a lot of snow and icy-cold temperatures in the winter, and blazing hot triple-digit summers. So the best breeds are ones that can tolerate both extreme conditions. A hot-weather-only breed won't work here in Utah, they'd probably die in the winter.

Also, misting in Utah cools the air itself. It does work, even for chickens, because of the sort of super-dry weather we have. Literally, the air they breathe is cooler if it is misted here (especially if the OP puts ice in the mister). This place is harsh... I'm guessing that where you live, conditions don't fluctuate as much, nor is it a high desert where you are. Very few plants actually *thrive* here, unless one spends a fortune watering, and even then, half of them die.

I feel your and @analyticalblonde pain. I am in NW CO and also in the high desert. Most people just don't understand how dry it is where we live. We had a beautiful back yard and lawn for a few years after we moved in here, but after the extreme drought a couple of years back, we gave up. It was costing us over $300 a month in water to try and keep it alive and it was a losing battle so we gave up. It's still costing us $100 or more in water trying to keep the front lawn alive.
I was thinking about trying misters for my girls as they are all panting something awful, glad to know that it does help and I will be setting them up today. On a plus note, even though it was 100 degrees yesterday, I still got my first egg! @analyticalblonde I hope the misters are helping your girls and they are doing better.

 

[analyticalblonde]

The first important point about keeping chickens comfortable in hot conditions is to get a breed that can tolerate the conditions they are likely to be subjected to.
What is apparent here (It was 106 Fahrenheit midday today) is shade is vital. However there is shade and shade. A single layer placed a few feet above a run, or shelter can easily trap the rising hot air (See picture on home page for this thread). Trees for example let hot air rise through the branches and also prevent the lower foliage from getting heated.
The ideal type of shade seems to be either tall bushes/cane or dense undergrowth beneath trees.
Something like these options.
During the heat of the day Tribe 1 stay down the bank on the left of the picture.
View attachment 1852008
A large tall bush. This cane and a favorite area of safety and shade for Tribe 3.
View attachment 1852044

Plenty of air movement and shade under this large bush.
View attachment 1852051

In the pictures above the temperatures were 90 degrees +.

A chickens core body temperature is around 106 degrees Fahrenheit. As soon as the ambient temperature reaches this a chicken can no longer transfer body heat to it's environment. It doesn't make a lot of difference what cold things you give it to eat, they won't alter the chickens temperature although they will provide some hydration in the case of say watermelon. We humans drink water or cold drinks because our heat regulation is done through sweating but chickens don't have sweat glands so this doesn't work for them.
Misting with water may seem like a good idea but a mist won't penetrate they chickens feathers and their skin temperature is likely to remain the same.
One of the less noticeable ways a chicken has of regulating it's temperature is through feather adjustment. The same mechanism they use (Filoplumes) to raise and lower their feathers to protect them from the cold also works to improve airflow close to the skin. The holding out of the wings assists the airflow increased by raising the feather with the Filoplumes, giving a greater surface area exposed to any air movement.
Part of the problem for chickens in the heat is they don't sweat and they are reliant on losing body heat primarily through their combs, wattles and mouth.
For chickens confined in a run a space under the coop if available makes good shade. The sun heat doesn't penetrate to the floor and heat is still able to rise into the coop.
Best of all is shade provided by foliage. Very hard to better what nature provides.
One method used where I live to provide shade for chickens in runs is to cut small tree branches and lay them on the roof of the run. Even is your run couldn't support branches you could still make a makeshift frame, cover the with branches and place it in the run.
Another alternative is to buy wall insulation slabs, the thicker the better and construct a three sided box with the reflective foil on the outside. An arrangement such as this might work well in the urban environment.
The main points I wanted to stress are chickens don't sweat so trying to pour water down them isn't going to work, and well thought out shade that doesn't restrict any breeze is the best solution.

Oh...I only wish I had the shade!

When we purchase our land, it was a pasture for horses before and the person never planted anything...no trees, no shrubs, no nothing. Our budget for this year was used up in replacing then fencing around our 2-acre parcel and building a retaining wall our contractors wouldn't do! So we have to wait until early next Spring to do the landscaping...until then, we purchased an integrated coop/run that has a full canopy because of the hot/heat this area is known for...I have an integrated coop and run that has a high canopy with cross-ventilation at the front and back. I will open on of the coop doors to give my girls more air circulation. We've added an additional camping canopy to the west side to give a longer amount of time of shade from the direct sun coming through their run as the sun goes west to set. We were thinking about mounting a type of breathable canvas just along the west side of the run wall.

 

[analyticalblonde]

The OP did get breeds suitable for the environment. I live about 20 miles away from the OP. We get a lot of snow and icy-cold temperatures in the winter, and blazing hot triple-digit summers. So the best breeds are ones that can tolerate both extreme conditions. A hot-weather-only breed won't work here in Utah, they'd probably die in the winter.

Also, misting in Utah cools the air itself. It does work, even for chickens, because of the sort of super-dry weather we have. Literally, the air they breathe is cooler if it is misted here (especially if the OP puts ice in the mister). This place is harsh... I'm guessing that where you live, conditions don't fluctuate as much, nor is it a high desert where you are. Very few plants actually *thrive* here, unless one spends a fortune watering, and even then, half of them die.

Thank you Peepsi...I can see you understand our environment and I do believe that Shadrack has the best in their hearts to help with their knowledge and advice...I take and use what I can and greatly appreciate having you and everyone here for the help!!!

 

[analyticalblonde]

For places where it's difficult to add shade or you need something quick, I use shade cloths from Amazon to block the worst of the sun. Find some with 90% UV block - you can get them for around $20 - $30, sometimes less. I notice my girls will dust bathe a lot more to try and stay cool. We set up fans to circulate some air and they plunked themselves down right in front of it. So although it isn't necessarily cooling per se, it does seem to help them feel better. Mine are not big fans of blueberries but tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, and cucumbers are popular. Or ice cubes with Nutridrench and Grubblies.

The funniest thing last summer was watching the rooster shake his head after he gave himself ice cream headache.

I just picked up a 5 lb. bucket of Grubblies...my girls absolutely love them.

...by the way, instead of straight-up water, I've now use a solution of Hydro-Hen 3 In 1 probiotic, electrolyte, and acidifier to make their frozen Dixie cups.

 

[hispoptart]

Oh...I only wish I had the shade!

When we purchase our land, it was a pasture for horses before and the person never planted anything...no trees, no shrubs, no nothing. Our budget for this year was used up in replacing then fencing around our 2-acre parcel and building a retaining wall our contractors wouldn't do! So we have to wait until early next Spring to do the landscaping...until then, we purchased an integrated coop/run that has a full canopy because of the hot/heat this area is known for...I have an integrated coop and run that has a high canopy with cross-ventilation at the front and back. I will open on of the coop doors to give my girls more air circulation. We've added an additional camping canopy to the west side to give a longer amount of time of shade from the direct sun coming through their run as the sun goes west to set. We were thinking about mounting a type of breathable canvas just along the west side of the run wall.

I completely understand the struggle. I think I would try the breathable cloth on the west wall if I were you. Did you put up your misters? If so how are they working out for you? I'm putting mine up today, just trying to decide the best place. It's supposed to hit 100 again today an the humidity is at 21% right now.

 

[Coykoi]

I use a mister and set it up near the shade of a tree. My birds dont want the mist on them, but they do walk on the wet ground. I'm thinking that a tarp with a drip system may work just as well. If they walk in the water it does make them more comfortable, sort of like dipping your feet in the kiddie pool!

 

[analyticalblonde]

Make sure to keep any water containers out of direct sunlight and I'd recommend shading the dust bath while you're at it... surfaces such as stone tile and sand in a well shaded area should stay cooler than the ambient temperature and can help wick some of that heat away from your girls. - particularly, digging down into a cool dust bath would be great for them.

Promote airflow wherever you can for passive cooling - if your coop is quite enclosed, you may want to think of cutting open a wall to add a screened window and closable shutter.

There have been a few studies which have indicated that extra protein can be beneficial in hotter climates, so it couldn't hurt. Corn has a warming effect when digested, so keep that as a winter-only treat. Also, I haven't tried it myself yet, but mint is supposed to have a small cooling effect too.

PS: I absolutely love your jungle gym

I have their waterers on the Northside so no sun gets to them...but when I feel the water, it is the same temp as the outside...no one wants to drink 95 degree water on a 95 degree day...hence, now I drop a few Dixie cups of frozen Hydro-Hen into the top of their waterers, swish it around so the water cools down and then leave the ice chunks to melt over time. My girls like to dust bathe on the west side (the hottest part of the run), so my husband thought last night that maybe we can hang a permeable canvas along the west wall of the run to block out the direct sun and provide shade as the sun starts to go over and set. For now, we have taken our camping canopy and set it up next to the west side of the run which gives about 3 additional hours of shade then the sun makes it way through. Often, I will go out an open one of the doors to the coop since to me it does seem quite enclosed. I thought the added airflow would help since half of the time during the day, they seem to stay in the coop.

We picked up the jungle gym thinking it would be a lot of fun for the girls but for now, our girls just think it's a big monster in their run! Maybe they will get used to it over time