Sand- better wet or dry when hot & humid??

[leighks]

So this seems like it should be a simple question but I’m not sure what the right answer is. We have sand in the chicken run and it has a covered roof, so sun is not directly shining on it. It is very hot and humid this week, with temps in the mid and upper 90s but with the humidity it feels about 100-102. My question is would it help cool the chickens down more to spray cold water on the sand in their run? On one hand, the dry sand isn’t getting sun so it’s not hot to the touch but it’s not cooling either. On the other hand, Wetting the sand may make it cooler from the cold water, but may make it more humid as the water slowly evaporates. Thoughts??

 

[3KillerBs]

Wet sand is likely to stink to high heaven as the dried poop dust it contains starts to rot.

 

[leighks]

Wet sand is likely to stink to high heaven as the dried poop dust it contains starts to rot.

I do scoop it every day (like a cat litter box) and I only have 5 chickens. I watered it yesterday after I scooped and it didn’t seem to stink, but I thought it made it more humid. It was tough to tell though since everything was humid. Losing power for 4 hours last night didn’t help either!

 

[deidreg]

I use sand and keep it dry. I added a "dust bath"--a large litter box with a mix of sand and soil. Hens use it every day. Also, I freeze blocks of ice and put in their water when it's very hot.

 

[aart]

The humidity is awful for me and the birds, we definitely suffer more then.

This is how I help my birds beat the heat.
Deep all day shade is best but....I don't have much of that.
This has worked very well to keep heat stress/stroke at bay:
I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

 

[leighks]

The humidity is awful for me and the birds, we definitely suffer more then.

This is how I help my birds beat the heat.
Deep all day shade is best but....I don't have much of that.
This has worked very well to keep heat stress/stroke at bay:
I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

I like that “pool”, is that a plastic sled??

 

[aart]

I like that “pool”, is that a plastic sled??

Yeppers!