Shade & Sun Battle

[BDs]

How much sun is too much for young, 5 month old chickens? We are in Southern CA and have full sun year round, but did just put up two shade sails which provide nice shade but the sun shifts all over the place so their water and food is never fully protected. Does this matter? On the weekends when we are home we find ourselves shifting it ever hour or so, so that it does not lay in direct sun.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Hello,

Good question...

My suggestion would be not worrying,
as long as you have a shade spot they can run into to stay cool,
they are fine! I hope this helps!

Good luck!
-The Angry Hen

 

[wynn4578]

For your feed and waterer if you don't have anything to put them under you can build a 'mini shed' with no sides just tall enough and wide enough to put your feeder and weterer in. Basically a roof for the feeder and waterer. It will help keep the water cool and keep the feed dry in the rain. My chicken houses are lifted on stilts so my feed sit under them and my bucket waterers hang under the overhang to keep them cool. For the chickens I like to give them the option so my runs are about half shade and half sun.

 

[wynn4578]

 

[The Angry Hen]

Did you make that? Neat!

 

[wynn4578]

Did you make that? Neat!

Yeah. No scale just an example of something one could do to keep the water in the shade and protect the feed.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Good job!

 

[Mace Gill]

I don't think it is hypercritical. The chickens need a shady spot to go to, even if the moving Sun shifts where that spot is. The food doesn't ... but if your worried, put the food where it will be in the shade from noon through the afternoon.

Extra special things to help them stay cool: Watermelon ... they love it! Fill a baking pan with peas or berries or a mix of stuff like that, top off with water and freeze. Pop a couple out for them to peck at. We'll fill empty gallon jugs (the plastic disposable kind that bottled wear comes in ... similar o gallon milk containers ... freeze them ... if It is too hot out, cut off the container and out the block of ice in a pan. They won't peck at it much, but as it melts, they'll drink from the pan and cool off.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Nice ideas!

 

[jeria]

Neat ideas, we often have really hot summers.