Oh my gosh its so hot!

[FrankStopher]

Hi y'all! I know its really hot really early just about every where this year. I wonder if the Central Texas folks can give me tips on what they are doing to keep their flock cool right now? We have fans out already and still the coop is 95 degrees at 9:30 at night. My husband says they are fine, can you reassure me or give me your advice? My poor girls are panting and only slightly holding their wings out. Gonna be a hot one this year! : (

 

[21hens-incharge]

When it's 95 in the coop that late how hot is it outside?

More windows, make one whole side just wire?

If you have electric in the coop...... Can you rig a fan so it is in a window blowing air in?

 

[Flamens Farm]

Due to the extreme heat, we have in SC, I only build 3 walled coops. My security is in the fencing all around and over the top.

 

[aart]

I give the flock a dose of Sav-a-Chik electrolytes every 3-4 days during heat waves here, maybe it's not Texas type heat - but still, it really seems to help.

 

[FrankStopher]

Thanks! I will look at the discussions you suggested. My husband is the constructor so I am taking notes for him. The coop has two regular size windows and several holes for ventilation, and the door for them to go in and out, obviously not enough. He will add to that. We have a fan in there. It's been 100-103 some days already, so the coop is not cooling off after sunset. We will be adding more windows this week! I will give them electrolytes today!

 

[kwhites634]

A girl down near San Antone sets out ice blocks for her birds to rub against, plus ice cubes in the water pans.

 

[Pork Pie]

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/788391/keeping-chickens-cool-in-summer-heat

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/topic-of-the-week-keeping-chickens-cool-in-summer.1181934/

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Nothing,they pretty much take Care of themselves,I just provide cool water.Our yard is a ton of shade.Once I refill my coop up again I will be adding a fan,but there is a ton of space in my coop so everyone can spread apart.

 

[Nardo]

It's just that is got so hot so fast. My chicks feather in the garage until it gets to be 70degrees all night and then I put them out near the others, but in the greenhouse, where I normally let them "look no touch" for several weeks until they are integrated. But this year the greenhouse got to 107 degrees in maybe 6 days time. So, of course, I had to punt. Right now they are in the middle of the big shady hen run under a picnic table that I have wired closed like a 4 X 8 foot play pen.
We usually have a little bit of a longer transition period from cool to not too terribly hot to OMG it's horrible out here and this year we went straight to the blazing hot.
Anyway, can you give them a hose that makes standing water or mud? Not like a gusher but make it wet and they will scratch around and peck in the cool. If you can cool their feet off they will stop panting. I have a fan blowing past the nesting boxes to cool those down since the hens are pretty much held to that spot for a while.
As you probably already know, it's from 1'ish to 5'ish that's most brutal. If you can cool them off just once during that time frame, it seems to help them. Others have more hints but that is what I do.

 

[Bdbutton]

I live in Northern California and have only had my chickens for a week. This past weekend the temerature soared over 100° and I panicked. My pullets were panting and I was afraid they were going to have a heat stroke. My husband bought a tarp to put over the coop to shade it a little more. I started spraying them with ice cold water out of a spray bottle. That cool them down right away and they stopped panting. My husband went down and bought some misters put over the top of the coop and we left it on until the temperature dropped. Worked like a charm! I also give them ice water and a mixture of electrolytes and probiotics.I also bought a fan which they don’t really like that much but I use it when the temperature is not that hot.