Summer heat

[emilylea5]

So it's summer again in Australia, and most of the eastern side of the country are going though a week of heat waves. Yesterday, the weather reports said it was 40°C here, my outside weather station said it was 46°c... Owch! Today the report is for 43°C, so we will probably get to 49°-50° (no joke, we are in one of the hottest and driest parts in the state) our 5 ladies free range on our 5 acres, have done since day one. They have plenty of dirt areas to dig around and lay in a different times of the day, depending where the sun is, and I have about 5 water dishes set up in those areas with fresh cool water so they don't have to go far for a drink. What else can I do to keep them cool? I don't want to lock them in the coop, because they go crazy in there, they are only in there at night so the foxes don't get a free meal. I dunked them all in a bucket of water yesterday afternoon, made sure to get water right in under their feathers. I can't leave a sprinkler on because they just run away from it. Should I just let them keep doing what they are doing?

 

[sumi]

I think you are on the right track with plenty water and shade and if you want to, make some muddy pools for them to cool their feet in. I don't know about dunking them in water, the sudden shock on their bodies must be huge!
I used to live in a semi-dessert region in South Africa and the temperatures you mentioned were an every day event for us and it went over 50* now and then. I didn't lose a single chicken to the heat and all I did was provide shade, water and mud pools for them to stand in. If the coop gets really hot inside you can put a fan in their for them. I didn't have an electricity outlet that far from the house, so I didn't, but some of the members here recommend it.

 

[emilylea5]

Thanks Sumi, I don't have an electrical output that far from the house either, so that's why I'm even less inclined to keep them locked up. I think the stress would kill them before the heat. Well they all survived yesterday's heat very well.
I didn't dunk the fully in water lol, just up to their breasts, then I splashed the rest over their backs for a bit. I swear they were lining up for their turn lol!! And the water wasn't cold, it was from our water tank, so it was just mild.

 

[sumi]

O.K. I was wondering! I remember mine used to bath in the mud when I watered the run for them and they loved laying down on the wet soil too. I think just cooling their feet and bellies down helped them a lot. I had 2 broodies who tired to hatch eggs in the middle of a heat wave once. Their eggs went off under them! I felt so sorry for them.