Portable AC in the coop?

[TaylorGlade]

Question #1: Should I be more concerned about the actual temperature or the heat index? The actual high will be below 100 (barely) but indexes in the 110+ for the next 10 days.
Question #2: Many people have suggested wetting the run down. However, we live in a very humid climate. Would this just make the humidity worse like the misters do?
Question #3: We have a floor standing portable AC that we can run an extension cord out there and try to keep the temperature in the 90s in the coop. Should we do that? I don't see lowering it to below 95 because then they won't be acclimated to our climate - but much over that kills them, right?

For reference: We have 12 7-8 week old cream leg bar chicks. 2 17-week old Australorp pullets and 1 18-week old Lavendar Ameracauna pullet. The babies and the pullets have not been integrated yet. The heat has made that very difficult.

Things we have already done:
1. Fan in the run (wall-mounted oscillating)
2. Fully covered run
3. Put frozen bottles in their water
4. Put out frozen milk jugs (that they ignore)
5. Bring them frozen treats (like peas, cukes, watermelon)

The coop is already well ventilated with open eaves. But, I've also been opening the nest boxes for extra ventilation. (of course, I'd have to close these if we put an AC out there.)

The worst part is, this heat is due to remain for at least the next 10 days! I've lived in Florida my entire life and don't remember a summer like this one. Man, did we pick an off year to get into chickens!

I wouldn't do this for typical run of the mill heat, but this seems extreme! Is this an acceptable idea?

 

[The cheek coop]

That heat sounds brutal. I would freeze bowls of water to 1: put in the water supply to keep their water cold and 2: to put in the run for them to peck at and drink as it melts. You can also feed them frozen watermelon and cucumbers (the internal temperature of a cucumbers is around 10 degrees cooler the external temp). As far as the coop goes anything to cause air movement will help cool them down (i.e. a fan) it sounds like you have power in your coop area so any air moving device should work. I am not an expert by any means but these are things I know will work. Hopefully someone else with more experience will chime in. Good luck!

 

[user651618]

It's exceptionally hot. Most of my flock hangs out under my skiff in the carport when it's hot so I'm setting up a box fan for the next couple of days. The RIR's don't seem to care about the heat but the LF's aren't enjoying it.

 

[TaylorGlade]

That heat sounds brutal. I would freeze bowls of water to 1: put in the water supply to keep their water cold and 2: to put in the run for them to peck at and drink as it melts. You can also feed them frozen watermelon and cucumbers (the internal temperature of a cucumbers is around 10 degrees cooler the external temp). As far as the coop goes anything to cause air movement will help cool them down (i.e. a fan) it sounds like you have power in your coop area so any air moving device should work. I am not an expert by any means but these are things I know will work. Hopefully someone else with more experience will chime in. Good luck!

I am already doing these things and they are still struggling - plus we have 7-8 week old chicks that are too big to be in the brooder anymore -12 of them. We run an extension cord for the fan that we have out there. No coop power. This is a floor standing portable that we can run a cable to

 

[aldarita]

I am In South Central Texas and the temps we have been having since June are brutal and don't seem to be letting off any time soon. I do not look at the heat index anymore because it stresses me to no end, the real temps are awful (100-103) according to our weather station thermometer. I have not (ever) lost a bird due to heat stroke (knock on wood). The "relief" we have in the mornings (for a short time) is when temp goes to 81.
I have 15 hens of different ages and eight 15-week-old chicks. My hens seem to be very well adapted (they go from 3 to 9 yo) they still stress and are super-hot but so far, they are taking it like troopers. It is the chicks that worry me the most because they have not had a chance to adapt, and they are doing it very fast. They have all the help I can give them other than moving them to an air-conditioned room where I would have to keep them for three months.
If I had known this horrendous summer was going to be this bad, I would not had ordered the chicks
So far they are doing as well as one could expect. They have fans in their coop, I leave the doors open since they have a very secured run, they have different waterers all around, some with electrolytes. They have terra-cota trays with water for them to step in and cool their feet which they do often and they get cool treats in the morning and in the evening (not too many since they are still growing and need feed to nurture them). Everyday I keep my fingers cross in hopes that they will continue to do this well and that their growth and development does not get affected. Chickens are very resilient and if they are healthy (good quality feed, clean water, places to roam and scratch, lots of space, etc.) they will have a better chance to survive.

 

[TaylorGlade]

I just checked on them again and they seem to be doing fine. For whatever reason, they still refuse to leave their coop. We already had a big fan in the run, but installed a smaller one in the coop this morning. They are obviously hot (panting, etc), but seem ok and the fan seems to be helping - as well as the frozen bottles I put in their water. It's our first year. I'm probably just a nervous mama hen. LOL.

 

[aldarita]

I'm definitely a nervous mama hen and worry a lot.
Make sure they have water in the coop if that's where they chose to stay. Mine have a routine and move around different places throughout the day

 

[Apis mellifera]

I just checked on them again and they seem to be doing fine. For whatever reason, they still refuse to leave their coop. We already had a big fan in the run, but installed a smaller one in the coop this morning.

Turn the fan off or remove it from the run and they will probably come out of the coop. Sometimes good intentions dont help, birds handle temperature different than humans. Give them shade and water and they will be fine.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Question #1: Should I be more concerned about the actual temperature or the heat index? The actual high will be below 100 (barely) but indexes in the 110+ for the next 10 days.
Question #2: Many people have suggested wetting the run down. However, we live in a very humid climate. Would this just make the humidity worse like the misters do?
Question #3: We have a floor standing portable AC that we can run an extension cord out there and try to keep the temperature in the 90s in the coop. Should we do that? I don't see lowering it to below 95 because then they won't be acclimated to our climate - but much over that kills them, right?

For reference: We have 12 7-8 week old cream leg bar chicks. 2 17-week old Australorp pullets and 1 18-week old Lavendar Ameracauna pullet. The babies and the pullets have not been integrated yet. The heat has made that very difficult.

Things we have already done:
1. Fan in the run (wall-mounted oscillating)
2. Fully covered run
3. Put frozen bottles in their water
4. Put out frozen milk jugs (that they ignore)
5. Bring them frozen treats (like peas, cukes, watermelon)

The coop is already well ventilated with open eaves. But, I've also been opening the nest boxes for extra ventilation. (of course, I'd have to close these if we put an AC out there.)

The worst part is, this heat is due to remain for at least the next 10 days! I've lived in Florida my entire life and don't remember a summer like this one. Man, did we pick an off year to get into chickens!

I wouldn't do this for typical run of the mill heat, but this seems extreme! Is this an acceptable idea?

Texas here. Heat index. Mine have had an a/c since 2021. I had a window unit installed in the hen house when the portable died. I leave the nesting boxes available so they can sit in there if they get too hot.(I'd rather change hay than dig graves.)

I also installed a mister line on each side of the entire coop with a a fan on each end. The misters are directed away from the coop at an angle, but they wet the soil and lower the air temp enough so that the dueling fans can suck it in and cool it further inside the coop. It's working great so far. I turn the misters on each day when it reaches 95° and off when it drops to 90° in the evening. The coop hovers around 80° for most of the day.

Early in the season I don't turn it on if the heat isn't going to be on consecutive days. I do want them to develop some heat tolerance. But once the heat kicks in, everything is on.

 

[The cheek coop]

Thanks for adding that. Did they do ok today?

Question #1: Should I be more concerned about the actual temperature or the heat index? The actual high will be below 100 (barely) but indexes in the 110+ for the next 10 days.
Question #2: Many people have suggested wetting the run down. However, we live in a very humid climate. Would this just make the humidity worse like the misters do?
Question #3: We have a floor standing portable AC that we can run an extension cord out there and try to keep the temperature in the 90s in the coop. Should we do that? I don't see lowering it to below 95 because then they won't be acclimated to our climate - but much over that kills them, right?

For reference: We have 12 7-8 week old cream leg bar chicks. 2 17-week old Australorp pullets and 1 18-week old Lavendar Ameracauna pullet. The babies and the pullets have not been integrated yet. The heat has made that very difficult.

Things we have already done:
1. Fan in the run (wall-mounted oscillating)
2. Fully covered run
3. Put frozen bottles in their water
4. Put out frozen milk jugs (that they ignore)
5. Bring them frozen treats (like peas, cukes, watermelon)

The coop is already well ventilated with open eaves. But, I've also been opening the nest boxes for extra ventilation. (of course, I'd have to close these if we put an AC out there.)

The worst part is, this heat is due to remain for at least the next 10 days! I've lived in Florida my entire life and don't remember a summer like this one. Man, did we pick an off year to get into chickens!

I wouldn't do this for typical run of the mill heat, but this seems extreme! Is this an acceptable idea?