poor panting little critters! what else can I do?

[Hollywood Chickens]

yesterday the heat index was 134.4!!!

I took a recycling bin and put 2 ice packs on each side to make it cooler in there but no matter what I did they would not stay in! I hosed them down 3 times through out day and now it is raining so hard that I can't go outside to shoo them into their coop and we are going to have hail soon, it is an electric storm so I don't dare go outside now! I hope that they will be ok.

 

[krazycow6]

Where do you live sub-sahara africa? I live in south FL with 100% humidity and have never seen it that hot.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Some of mine pant too, even in the shade, it seems to be only the dual purpose breeds. The gamefowl, OEGBs, and Cornish it does not seem to affect them. All my meat and dual purpose lay around in the hot part of the day and get active in the early am and late evening before roosting. I have a kiddie pool for the ducks but the chickens never get in it to cool their feet. So I assume they are fine. I make sure there are several water buckets within 50 feet of each other. As long as they have good shade and water they should be fine. If shade is limited then maybe set out a misting sprinkler and see if they will play in it. A old trick to is a canvas or cloth tent that is kept wet, evaporation will cool inside the tent.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

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I live in south FL too it was 100 degrees with 75% humidity it is actually cooler in the sahara desert! in the Sahara the heat index only reaches 120! because it is so dry

 

[krazycow6]

Ok well I guess it was hotter than I thought.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

where in south fl? maybe we live near each other

 

[ChickieNikki]

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here is the soffit...and we screened it, but not with hardware cloth, thanks for the warning...however, it is 6.5 ft up, with no real way to climb...still a danger, ya think? we can add the hardware cloth if necessary. here are pics of the coop...we leave the big door open at night...