poor chickens!

[annie3001]

so after building our first coop. photos are under my byc profile.
i have relized in the hot hot sun we have should have put the coop in another part of the yard. i feel so bad for my girls, its been very hot and the sun beats down on them for hours. theres a slight breeze tho.
to make it better for them i hung white sheer curtains(long enought to go down the side of their outside run)
but still feel better. i am home all day long. so i check on them all the time, offering fresh grass that i pull up and give to them ,today it was nice cold yogurt. i just wish i could pick it up and move it (cant do that everything is so heavy and solid. their run even has poured cement around it.
we do have some shade and plenty of trees, just its not getting them. so yeah i have improvised with curtains. just wanted to know what all of you do with shade etc?
thanks in advance!


andrea,ct.

 

[CityChook]

It might be a little late this year, but consider doing some landscaping around their run for some shade and green. It will be harder to see them in their run, but it would probably make them feel more comfortable.

Also, is your run covered? Would that help?

 

[annie3001]

my run has half of it covered with a tarp and this corgugated board thingy (for rain to run off) dont know what thats called. its covered on half of the run.. it does have chicken wire on the whole thing tho including the top

 

[Imp]

The curtains are a good idea. Also maybe a mister. Can you plant something to give them more shade? Sounds like your doing fine. and a beautiful yard.

Imp

 

[annie3001]

i have a spray bottle thats for my kids,,,, do you think the chickens would mind if i misted them with water?

 

[Imp]

Quote:
They might not like it, but it will do no harm.

Imp- uses a squirt gun for chicken control

 

[cluck-addict]

I misted my chickens and they hated it. I've heard of people who put blocks on ice in the waterer and put frozen tomatos and such out for their chickens when its really hot. You can usually get those tarps on craigslist for super cheap. That might provide some shade until trees can grow. A trellis and some vine might be a quick option too.

 

[annie3001]

okay so i sprayed them ( alittle) although they chirped alot, i dont think the liked it. so i dumped the rest of the water in the run... they came over to the water, so maybe that'll work.
they are panting alot too.
they have cold water and plenty of food.

 

[ducks4you]

Cover your run. Build a slope on it so that the rain drips off.
Just like Omran's:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=13683

Then...go ahead and mist your birds.

Imp does.
Imp would Probably attack ducks4you with a squirt gun, but, HA, ducks are IMPERVIOUS to water!! hahahahahahahaha

 

[lhamid]

I am in the Sacramento Valley (CA). It gets HOT here. I put misters in all my pens. I bought an Orbit brand starter kit from WalMart a couple of years ago, got extras heads and more 1/2" pvc from Lowes. It really helps and was pretty cheap and very easy. Some of my birds actually stand under it with wings held out. I turn it on when temps get in the high 90's. Chickens do well in cold weather (think down and feathers!) but they really suffer in the heat