Mini Swamp Cooler?

[Chickens-246]

My summers are in the 100-107° range and dry. Store bought swamp coolers are way too large for my coop size, plus I only want to drop the coop temp to just below 95°, because of course above 95° is the lethal temperature for chickens.

Has anyone designed a mini swamp cooler for a coop?

 

[Omran]

Quote:
I honestly don't know how itlooks like or what exactly it is, but I heard that some folks in very hot climate, install some kind of mist fan witch sprey mist water on the flock all day long, I hope someone else will be able to help you in this matter.

Omran

 

[bigcats]

I'm a newbie and haven't done a summer yet here in the desert with chickens but...

My temps are the same as yours and I know many local people who have chickens. So I don't believe that above 95 is necessarily lethal, otherwise everyone's chickens would die every summer. When I ask them how they keep them cool they shrug and say "Make sure they have shade".

So I've got mine set up for shade and I did buy one of those misters to attach to my hose for the real scorchers. I plan to leave it running lightly if I'm going to be away from home and can't watch them during the summer. I got mine at Home Depot last weekend. It's just a squiggly shaped tube that attaches to the hose and stands up. It was about $10. It's for people to use as they sit in a lawn chair or something.

 

[zippy11455]

Pack grated zucchini (excess big ones from garden) in a plastic container (yogurt or cottage cheese tubs work well) and freeze. Dump them out on a hot day and give them to the chickens. They will love pecking at them. Entertains them and helps cool them at the same time.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

Well, last summer my hens did not appreciate the mister I set up for them. But they did like muddy patches - go figure. My chickens and my dogs avoided the areas the misters were cooling down, but once the mister was off, the chickens were scratching and standing in the wetted area. Dogs, not so much.

 

[Poultra]

Google it, lots of folks have built their own versions. Here's one. I think I recall seeing a post on here once about it, too, you'd have to do a search.

When you get yours built, post it and let us know how it works out.

Good luck!
Katie

 

[Mahonri]

I put ice in my waterers on days over 105.

About 1/2 hour before sunset, I go out and wet down the coop roof so that they can get some evap cooling that way.

I have a fan in one of the vents.

I also have oleanders on the south side of the coop. I wet them down at night also.

 

[birdnutz]

How about burlap stretched on a frame,mister focused on that with the fan blowing threw it? About the same as a swamp cooler..

 

[flopshot]

i've played around with the mister kits building a cold frame for rooting plants. they work for a while but seem to degrade over time. i now use misting nozzles for livestock that i get from Fimco. still, they need to be replaced at least every other year. you would definitly need a water filter of some sort. even the fine mesh screens are not enough.