Perfect Indoor Temperature?

[loveleavesascen]

Sometimes I like to keep my chicken indoors. I turn on the AC because I heard that chickens prefer cold rather than hot. Since it is summer, the A/C is always on. Sometimes I leave it on because I am worried that the place will get too warm for the chicken (the vet told me that many animals were coming in with heat stroke this year). I was wondering what was actually considered to be too warm for a chicken? Is all this A/C necessary for it?

 

[Judy]

I have read that 100 degrees F is their line -- although reading on here makes it apparent there are variables, particularly shade and breeze, also hydration, etc. It does reach 100 or slightly over here, and we have not lost a chicken to heat in the few years we've had this flock. Mine were moved to a defunct garden a couple of weeks ago, which is still grown up with grass, weeds, etc., so the soil stays somewhat cool and moist from the vegetation. I still see them mouth breathing and holding their wings away from their bodies at times, so I know they get warmer than they'd like to be. On occasion I have dunked a chicken into a bucket of air temp water and let it air dry -- which stops the panting and wing stretching. I've never brought one in the house to get it cool. I do other things with water if needed -- cool the coop or ground, water the weeds so they drip and stay wet a while, etc.

I do feel part of the reason we haven't lost one is, they are acclimated. This is the down side of using A/C -- or heat in the winter.

 

[RaeRae2]

My chickens are air conditioned and have fans in their run for the portion of the day they are outside. We've been in the 90s-100 range here a LOT this summer and I would be just sick if I lost chickens to the heat. I couldn't bear to see them panting and fanning their wings. The final straw was when I found my Brahma rooster on the floor of the chicken house looking delerious and clearly VERY overheated. And that was with ample water, fans, and shade. That day we got an AC unit and installed it in their house. We have humidity here which sucks the life out of you.

So my birds are in the AC at around 72 degrees in the evening and overnight. They go out during the day but if it's near 100 I leave them locked in all day in the AC. They are doing GREAT!