The Heat.

[dmwalker1999]

Hello. I live in South Central Oklahoma and right now it is super hot. And i was wondering what all I can do to cool down my chickens that way there not as hot. Thanks for the help!

 

[AlienChick]

There are lots of threads on this forum providing very good info on keeping chickens cool.

Some of the things people have written about include using fans, freezing gallon jugs of water and placing them around the areas where the chickens like to relax.

Digging holes in shaded areas so the chickens can take advantage of the cool earth.

You'll find a ton of good ideas while searching through the posts.

Good luck!

 

[Gifa]

This is something I do for my 8 chickens on days that are 100+.

I wash and freeze a couple of solid landscaping blocks overnight. This chills them to -10 degrees for the following day.

At noon, on the day before the hottest day in the forecast, I place a gallon of iced water out for them with electrolytes and vitamins in it. This kind of primes their systems and provides some early relief on that day. I simply add ice to the waterer the following day at noon.

Then at 2 or 3pm (just before the hottest part of the day) on 100+ days, I set out the blocks in their favorite dustbath location. I place them about 8-10 inches apart to minimize squabbling.

They will sit on top and next to the blocks and scratch out the dirt to cool down.

The blocks, because they are solid, and were chilled for 12 hours to sub-zero temps, will stay cold for hours. The surface area of the blocks themselves will only remain below freezing for about 20-30 minutes. The for the next hour or so, they are anywhere between 40 and 50 degrees, and for the following two hours they are between 50 and 80 degrees.

By the time they aren't really cold enough to help, the temps are already starting to cool off to more reasonable temps.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10151940493040293

 

[bucky52]

what a great idea.i never thought of freezing landscaping blocks.my dh will really think i have lost my mine if i stared putting concrete blocks in the freezer.

 

[Gifa]

Just be sure to wash them before you put them in the freezer. Unless, of course, you are fortunate to have a deep freeze to dedicate to the blocks. But I'd still at least hose them off. lol.

I like to collect the blocks after the girls go in the coop for the night, hose them off really well, then bring them in and wash them with a little soapy water with a splash of bleach in it... Then rinse them off really good with plain water, and set them out on the patio and let them dry some. By the time I am ready to go to bed I can pop them back in the freezer for the next day.