Ok its 109 here right now and my chickens are panting?

[meandmytwo]

Its so hot here today. I dont know what else to do to cool the girls off? They have a layer of sand in the run that they dig down in and "nest". I make sure they have water, fresh, and then I froze a large bottle of water last night and have that in there for them. Anything else I could be doing?

 

[Big C]

A mister fan works well if the humidity is not too high.

 

[saddina]

Quote:
Wet the sand.
Give them frozen veggies in dish of water.
Spray down the coop/run to drop the overall temp
Shade them with the umbrella from your patio set

 

[Sillystunt]

Quote:
Wet the sand.
Give them frozen veggies in dish of water.
Spray down the coop/run to drop the overall temp
Shade them with the umbrella from your patio set

yes do what she says! LOL spraying down the sand is KEY! I also freeze ziplock bags and put them in their coop and ice in water! SHADE?

 

[ChooksChick]

For future heat, you can freeze 2 liter bottles of water and lay them near where the chickens hang out. Be certain they have good shade, and if there's a way to make an area ALWAYS shaded, that area will stay cooler.

I put one in front of a fan in the coop at night.

 

[meandmytwo]

Thanks everyone they do have shade on half of there run all day. I will be spraying down there run tonight and setting up two umbrellas for tomorrow its suppose to be hotter. I didnt know that chickens pant?

Maybe I'll freeze some more large water bottles to put in the coop for tomorrow wow I just dont know what to say about this heat, Im a Cali girl and its hot for me!

 

[fordmommy]

You could give them watermelon for a treat. And someone gives their chickens ice chips!

 

[rachaelc]

Man it is hot here! I live in Newberg,OR and my girls have been very hot. We have been freezing 2 liter bottles, they love them and lay allover them. We put a fan out in the coop as well as some small sprinkler showers in the yard yesterday when they looked stressed. Tonight I really wet the yard down and that made a huge difference in the evening temp in their pen. I even read about folks who gave them a small wading pool to walk thru and have been on the lookout for one of those. Anything to help get them thru this. They should be laying eggs very soon. Heat might stress them for awhile. We also gave them total shade over the pen as the afternoon sun has been grusome.. I gleaned all these tips from the folks at BYC and can attest they have all been great.
Thanks for the help folks
Rachael C-mother of all 2LBs,1rir,1 blue andal,1dominq,1 amaericana, 1austral,1 BO ,3 cats,2 dogs,pr of goldian finches, DH,DS and all other lifeforms.

 

[Autumn Mama]

I'm thinking of trying frozen chopped spinach!

Here in BC we have been hovering around 90 degrees + this past week during an already hot and very dry Spring/Summer. We have used ice in the water, sprayed the run, and given cold water whenever I think to change it. Many times per day and I watch to see that everyone can get a turn drinking!

Today we hit 102-104 degrees with humidity driving it even higher. I. Could. Not Be. Outside. At. All.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Quote:
I know that here in the Seattle area we cant typically complain about the heat like elsewhere in the country - but it truly IS HOT - 98 today in Maple Valley and my girls were panting too.... And I was stessing (obviously harder than them) and pulling out all of the cooling off tricks I could find because I knew they were going to lay any day!! And then guess what! Our first egg today around 1pm.... So do your best at keeping them cool but dont fear to much that they wont lay! Just wanted to give you some hope!!