Official BYC Poll: How Do You Keep Your Chickens Cool In Summer?

[NaperLix]

They have air conditioning,and go in if they pant.Gnats,which are deadly some years ,they will go in as well,coop fully screened..Some windows open little though,when air is on.
Theres a good vanilla spray by Buggins,help gnats,I use and my animals.3 weeks a year ,then the gnats are gone.
Yes,transformer blew up last year,out 5 hours.They we’re fine.Back room of house ,with tarp floor,is used for too hot or too cold,When heaters in coop can’t keep up,only below zero.

 

[CamJa]

Summertime is a wonderful time, but with the sunshine and long days comes a potential hazard for our flocks: extreme heat. Chickens naturally wear a warm coat of feathers and can overheat easily, therefore it is essential that we provide means for them to cool down, if needed, and regulate their body temperatures.

So How Do You Keep Your Chickens Cool In Summer?

Feel free to choose multiple answers and please elaborate in the comment section if you choose "Other".

View attachment 2679982

Further Reading:

• Keeping Your Chickens Cool In Summer
• A Simple Way To Keep Chickens Cool In Summer
• Coop Health: Designing & Maintaining A Healthy Coop

(Check out more Official BYC Polls HERE!)

In central Texas it gets HOT!! We don't have power in that part of our lot so to avoid stringing an extension cord we're in the process of setting up a small solar power station. We use a lot of solar lights on the property and I've been interested in learning more about it (yes, it's a little overkill), but it may lead to more efficient use of power at some point. We'll be powering an exhaust fan in the coop which we hope will draw in and push out air. I'll update after we see how it goes.

 

[Bill752]

Our chickens are blest to share the pasture that has plenty of shade with a few ducks that dictate that we keep their swimming/bathing water below the boiling point or they'll reduce their 5 star status to 0 star on us so they all get fresh water 4 times a day during the Summer days & their tubs are moved as the shade moves. They don't realize that I was retired until they became my Boss.

 

[Malamute1]

I'm in FL. Summers can be miserable. My girls free range from dawn to dusk. I have water hanging under the coop and another larger waterer under the trees. I put a frozen water bottle in their larger water bucket mid day. It sure helps to cool the water. They have 2 large oaks for shade in the chicken yard. The coop n run are mobile and we keep it in the shade during the hot months. The coop & run are secure from predators. Although the coop is on the small side for my 9 girls, once the run is locked they are safe. We keep the coop door open, they have roof peak ventilation, 1 window with hardware cloth, usually open yr round, and 4 sml round screened soffit vents my husband added last summer. The girls get cold fruit & veggie scraps mid day and I freeze unsalted canned corn with water in muffin tins. They luv it. I read about freezing the corn here at BYC. There is plenty of dirt under the trees for dust bathes n wallows. The girls are champion diggers and their w allows so deep when they lay in them all you see are their heads n tails sticking out. Lol They like the sprinkler too!

 

[BDutch]

They have air conditioning,and go in if they pant.Gnats,which are deadly some years ,they will go in as well,coop fully screened..Some windows open little though,when air is on.
Theres a good vanilla spray by Buggins,help gnats,I use and my animals.3 weeks a year ,then the gnats are gone.
Yes,transformer blew up last year,out 5 hours.They we’re fine.Back room of house ,with tarp floor,is used for too hot or too cold,When heaters in coop can’t keep up,only below zero.

If you choose the right breeds and setup with natural shade, and lots of ventilation , the chickens don’t need heating or airco. If you still want to use electricity in summer to cool, please buy a solar system so you don’t contribute to an even faster warming up the globe.

 

[LeeWren]

I freeze water in old milk and OJ bottles and place in coop at night. The flock free ranges during day and there are lots of cooler and shady spots for them.

 

[Bella Dominique]

My coop has white corrugated roofing which keeps coop and run amazingly cool, but when weather got up to 95 degrees last year I tried all the suggestions but the mister and the fan terrified them (it was their first summer). Frozen fruit in yogurt was a hit. Where I had the mister was over their normal dust bath and when I turned it off they figured out that the damp soil was the answer. Thank goodness because they had been panting really bad and looking miserable.

 

[Kriscam]

Ice blocks and a weekly dose of electrolytes during heat waves are the most effective tools.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

Every time I give my 10/11 week olds electrolytes they all get diarrhea. Anyone else have that happen? I am careful to use the proportions given on the package.

 

[aart]

Every time I give my 10/11 week olds electrolytes they all get diarrhea. Anyone else have that happen? I am careful to use the proportions given on the package.

Eh, might have seen some looser poops after a dose of EL...not enough to be concerned about tho.

 

[lolson69]

Fresh water a couple of times a day. Run sprinkler in part of their free range area under pines in the morning. Misters for the over 90 degree days. Frozen bottles of ice for waterers. Electrolytes in water.
Going to be 105 here on Memorial Day . So we’re gearing up for the big heat wave. Calaveras county California.