Summer heat

[desertlovers]

Hello Everyone! We are new at this (rasing chickens) and didn't even THINK about our chicks and the heat here in Az... We have 10 chicks, 5 weeks old that we just put out in the new coop 2 days ago. Today is suppose to be 97 and tomorrow is suppose to get into the triple digits. Is there anything we should do besides making sure there is shade and water??? How hot is too hot??? It can get up to 115 here. Thanks for any advice!

 

[chickflick]

I hope fellow Az'ers will come on and help you out. I know some people have misters for their chickens. I put a fan in the coop on really hot days....and I live in MI! I know chickens don't like the heat.....hate to raise them in AZ!
Oh.....

hope you like it here. We're a nice bunch of people sharing our love of chickens.

 

[desertlovers]

Thank you for your fast reply! We didn't think about using misters! We will check it out today!!!
Yes, we have really enjoyed this site and all the useful info on it. I am sure we will have many more questions about our "babies" while they are growing up. Thank you again!

 

[Dawn419]

Hello and elcome to BYC! : frow

Check out 10 Tips for a Cooler Coop.


Hope this helps!


Dawn

 

[desertlovers]

Thank you Dawn! There are lots of ideas for us!!! The water bottles are in the freezer and my husband is bringing home the fan!! Thanks again for showing us this post!!!!
Cheryl & Mike

 

[Dinos_rock]

I live in AZ, but this is my first summer with chickens...

 

[rufus]

Lots of shade and lots of water. Make sure you have more than one source of water, just in case one gets turned over.

Dump out the waters and refill them daily. You don't want to be raising mosquitos.

Set a lawn sprinkler up on a timer to go off two or three times a day.

Miss watering one day, and you will be out of the chicken business.

Make sure they have plenty of green grass and weeds to eat.

The higher the shade, the cooler the shade. Avoid tin roofs unless they are really high up. Don't want to roast the babies.

Avoid the black breeds of chickens; they really suffer here.

Good luck!

Rufus

 

[65browneyes]

I'm in the Verde Valley and it's nothing for us to see 115, too. I'm a firm beleiver in the frozen bottle method. I've even used blocks of ice set in plastic dish pans (actually, they're hospital pans you get whenever you're admitted). I make sure to freeze 16 oz water bottles and keep them in their waterers. I also mist their area periodically during the hottest periods.

 

[Katy]

I live in Kansas so we aren't quite as hot as Arizona, but we see quite a few 100+ days. I make sure a shady area of the run is wet down for them to lay in. Also shallow contractor pans of water for them to stand in. The pans are going into the runs tomorrow since it's supposed to be almost 90 here. They thought it was plenty hot here today and it was only mid 80s.