Surviving Arizona Heat

[jjymey]

When our temperatures hit 114 this year we had several chickens die in one day. Last year something similar happened when it got really hot so this year we put up a mist system, but the ground was becoming very soggy and stinky so we only had it on intermittently.

We need to figure out a good system to keep chickens cool enough in our Arizona heat. Any tips on the best way to set up a mist system? Do you have it run all day/intermittantly? Tips on watering? Our water is in a 5 gallon bucket that goes to a hose and a PVC pipe, but the water heats up quite a bit.

What other tips do you have to keep your chickens cool?

 

[jennifer0224]

You have more experience than I, as I have only been keeping chickens for 6 months. But I am in California and while not 114, we have been in the 100's for months now.. 106, 107, lately. My 8 hens are hating it, I feel terrible.

My coop roof is the foil backed OSB with white shingles on it and the coop is at least 10 degrees cooler than outside. They spend a lot of time in there. I also have shade sails i hung above the coop and run with some simple posts (2x4's attached to run fence). A couple of times a day I go out there and spray down the shade sails which cools them down for a bit. I also find they are digging and laying in the dirt next to our young trees where the drip system is. I fill their waterers almost all the way with ice and keep them in the shade. And i bring them cold watermelon every afternoon. It seems to help and we have had no casualties. A mister sounds great, but we are in a pretty severe drought and I decided not to go down that road unless I have to.