Summer heat in Arizona

[slheier]

Hello - I have 9 ladies in my flock in Arizona. In the summer they have a swamp cooler running in the hottest time of the day between 1-6 in their covered tractor run, in the chicken yard I have misters that turn on at 1pm to wet down the ground so it is cooler in the afternoon. The chicken yard is covered with outdoor shade screen that completely covers the area. The coop has two windows, and the door has an insert with hardware cloth, so air comes in all the time and there is a fan on the door blowing air in all day and night. I was wondering if I should leave the automatic chicken coop door open all night to help with cooling the coop in the summer. I do have mice and rats that run around in the yard at night, and I am concerned about leaving the door open all night to give them access.

 

[aart]

I do have mice and rats that run around in the yard at night, and I am concerned about leaving the door open all night to give them access.

I wouldn't want to give rats, or mice, free access to the coop.

Is this fan mounted on the door?
Pics?

 

[slheier]

I wouldn't want to give rats, or mice, free access to the coop.

Is this fan mounted on the door?
Pics?

I added pictures to the original post.

 

[Saveria]

I love this article. The author lives somewhere more humid, but maybe some things will overlap.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

 

[nuthatched]

What part of AZ and how hot is it getting?

 

[slheier]

It is 113 today and I live around Phoenix.

 

[Redmogur]

Hello - I have 9 ladies in my flock in Arizona. In the summer they have a swamp cooler running in the hottest time of the day between 1-6 in their covered tractor run, in the chicken yard I have misters that turn on at 1pm to wet down the ground so it is cooler in the afternoon. The chicken yard is covered with outdoor shade screen that completely covers the area. The coop has two windows, and the door has an insert with hardware cloth, so air comes in all the time and there is a fan on the door blowing air in all day and night. I was wondering if I should leave the automatic chicken coop door open all night to help with cooling the coop in the summer. I do have mice and rats that run around in the yard at night, and I am concerned about leaving the door open all night to give them access.

I have six ladies in Mesa Arizona and since we don’t have a swamp cooler or misting system for them near the coop, we froze, partial water bottles and put them out on the hottest days. Also, we have plastic containers we feel with freshwater that they can wade in. And best of all! We started making chick-sickles for them. In plastic containers, we froze fruits, vegetables, spices and meal worms, and let the chickens have fun with them on the hottest days! If you’re in the Phoenix and surrounding areas, you know, we had the hardest summer on record. And our flat toughed it out successfully! Hope that helps!