Keeping the girls cool in hot weather

[Yard full o' rocks]

Thanks for starting this!! I am putting empty milk jugs in the freeezer NOW!! Its supposed to be 100 deg here today and I know the girls are going to be miserable. Thanks for the ideas.....

 

[Rex Mom]

Many of these ideas are similar to what rabbit raisers do. Dealing with humidity must be rough! Poor chickies.. But much like maf2008 said, they didn't have ice to use for the chickens when it got hot over 100 yrs ago. I just got an email the other day from someone who shows dogs that told of a friend who gave her dogs ice water to drink or ice chips on hot days. Ended up sending her dog to the emergency vet because the dog showed signs of bloat. Turns out, ice cold water or ice is the worst thing to give a dog in the heat. It causes the stomach muscles to cramp up, becoming quite painful to the dog. The vet suggested room temp. water no matter how hot it was. So... maybe need to rethink the ice water thing for the girls to drink. The swim pool with a few inches of water sounds good! Lots of good ideas... Thank YOU!

Susan

 

[emvickrey]

My coop is in the shade 24/7 and it's a good 10 degrees cooler there if not more. I should put a thermometer out there to find out. YOu can feel the difference when your back there. They still pant from the heat. I put fans on mine when it really gets hot like in July and August. I also make sure they have fresh cool water by changing it often. Doesn't matter if it is still full. I do that for the dogs also. Although 3 of them are in the house in extreme weather the other one, it just ins't possible. He is a St Bernard and huge, and we live in a mobile home. He would take up all the living room space with the other 3. And our house would stink, we would slide on his drool. I could go on so we have him in a pen in the back hard where it is shady also. He gets water changed just like the others.

My hens are laying really strange. I have 6 that are laying and I may get 2 eggs or 6 a day or 4. Sometimes I will find some on the floor right by the door. I think that is a hint they want out to roam.

I found one right under the roost like she just let it fall and did'nt bother to go to the nest box.

 

[giasmom]

Quote:
I'm right there with you ! I think this is the worst June weather we've had in a while ! Trying whatever I can to keep everyone cool !

 

[Intileo]

I've been reading about the iced water thing, the pros and cons of whether to drink it yourself in hot weather or give it to hot chickens. Here's my tuppence worth: last year in June when the hot weather hit I lost three five month old pullets in a week. Every day I changed their water, they were free ranged every afternoon, so they could hide under the shade trees. But three still died. I started to give the remaining hens iced water bottles in their dispensers and the dying stopped even though the heat was ferocious.

Every morning I'd fill the waterers with fresh water. At lunch time I'd take the iced water bottles and drop them in. I'd watch as the chickens would RUSH at the waterers and drink and drink and drink. Water simply does not stay fresh enough here (in Florida) even in the shade. My chickens simply wouldn't drink warm water. They need cool water to cool their carotid artery, in their throat. It's more than just for hydration. Also, yes, give them some water to stand in. And adequate shade. But, for me, the iced water bottles are what kept my birds alive.

As for humans, well I'm English and never grew up drinking ice in my water. I won't touch it even though I live in Florida- except in summer. Just like Groundhog Day marks a shift from the depths of winter to the promise of spring, so the day I find I just can't drink enough water and feel faint and ill is the day I know to break out the ice cubes and that summer must be here! The way it works is that for digestion to take place your stomach must be at a certain temperature (can't remember what it is now). When you're hot you're blood is under your skin, trying to cool off (hence we get flushed), but when you drink cold water your blood has to go back to the stomach to warm it up so that digestion can take place. And that, folks, is how you lower your core temperature! (Obviously you don't want to drink a ton of iced water suddenly if you've got very very hot. My niece did and puked. All things in moderation.)

Believe me, if drinking hot tea worked in summer to cool me off, I'd do it- and I've tried. You know how Brits are about their tea! But, about the time I find I need to break out the ice cubes, I also find that hot tea makes me sooo flushed and hot I feel quite ill. I've lived in the US for ten years and, I'm embarrassed to say, only last year did I discover that marvel which is.... drum roll.... iced tea. >Contented sigh<

I don't know if it's good science to others, but these have been my ongoing, personal and anecdotal findings!!!

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I lost one of the speckled sussex babies in the nursery this morning.

I have FOUR fans, both doors to the building open. A 2x2 hole in the back. Two windows and LOTS of shade . I even have the pop door open (it has hardware wire on it for now).

I placed a thermometer in front of one of the fans and it read 92 degrees. This IS the temp. outside.

I change the water EVERY morning.

I check on them as often as I can. I think I too will try a pop bottle with frozen ice and put it in the waterer in the morning.

These poor animals.

 

[Rex Mom]

You know reading some of these posts it would seem that back in the day they probably used cold well water from deep down in the ground for the chickens to drink. That and shade... I know I am not looking forward to when the summer heat really kicks in. So far we've only had a few warm days.. but more fog and overcast than normal. I am thankful for that! What needs to happen is the coop and run need to be moved to their permanent spot. That way it will have shade almost all day. Another 'honeydo' to add to the list for my hubby!

Susan

 

[lane-h]

I'm changeing their water out every day in the run and every evening in the coop. My 8 week old chicks wont go in the coop during the day. Part of their run goes under the coop and thats where they hange out most of the day. Plus the run is in the shade most of the day. Think I might try the frozen water bottle thing though dont want to take any chances.

 

[Gonzo]

I use old 2 liter bottles frozen with water. I toss them in the coop. Also offer them some frozen veggies or cold yogurt. It will help them col off. I also load down each of the waterers with ice in the morning.

 

[fowltemptress]

Not true about warm water being better for people in warm weather. My SO is a paramedic, and while it is true that your body has to heat up to deal with the colder water, it does not heat up enough to equal the cooling capacity of the water. For some reason it's a common misconception, and there's at least a few students in every paramedic class that have to have the notion put out of their heads. Ice water is always recommended for people in hot weather, so I'd advise it for chickens, as well.