The things we do to help our chickens in the heat!

[vfem]

I figured here would be a good place to enter in all the things we do to help our chickens combat the heat! Being proactive so they make it through this heat wave healthy! Here it was 100 with 110 heat index yesterday, and today its supposed to hit 100 again!

Like today, I of course refilled everyone with fresh water and gave them all watermelon rinds from one I bought yesterday. To top it off, I have a fan sprinkler and I set it up to make sure it hits all 3 of our coops to cool them down. I'll turn it off in about an hour and then after an hour turn it back on. I'll do that until about 7pm tonight. I saw someone mention a mister option on their hose head, but we don't have one.

So what do you do to combat the heat for your girls? (and boys!)

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Hi vfem, I keep fans going in their coops 24/7 and make sure they have plenty of fresh drinking water which is hard because I have ducks and they like to keep the water filthy lol. They free range during the day so they pretty much take care of themselves finding shade and such.

 

[featherbaby]

I freeze a 2 liter soda bottle with water inside and put a frozen bottle in the coop each morning. It condenses and gets the shavings wet around it but I don't have a better solution. I have fans running 24/7 also. I think the effectiveness of misting is when the water hits our bare skin and evaporates (like sweat does) we 'feel' cooler. I'm really not sure it works the same way on feathers or fur. In Florida the humidity is already so high, it just makes the air more muggy.

I made the mistake of putting ice cubes in a ziplock baggie and putting in the bottom of the coop (I ran out of frozen ice bottles). Well the bag leaked or was punctured and I had a soaking wet coop and wet chickens. What a mess!

Any other ideas?

 

[vfem]

Quote:
I like the idea of the frozen bottle! I know with the pecky chickens a ziplock bag wouldn't last, they'd destroy it!

In the winter we put hot water in milk jugs and put them in the coop if its going to be below freezing for some added warmth.

 

[vfem]

Quote:
Hi vfem, I keep fans going in their coops 24/7 and make sure they have plenty of fresh drinking water which is hard because I have ducks and they like to keep the water filthy lol. They free range during the day so they pretty much take care of themselves finding shade and such.

I have no way to get electricity out to them, so that's not an option for me. Its a great idea for people who are set up for it for sure!

 

[sgtmom52]

Mine have fans in the coop. Yesterday I gave them a very large zucchini which I had cut into large chunks and froze the night before ~ they loved it!

 

[GA_in_GA]

I fill the two waterers with ice and water. The smaller of the two is in the coop and helps a bit in creating a cooler area. Running the mister near one end of the run this morning, though the girls are not thrilled by the idea of water flying through the air!

 

[ChooksChick]

I have stuff for keeping them cool listed here and here . Hope it helps!

 

[Chick named Lola]

I too do the fans, 24/7. Small one for inside my little coop and large box fan for the covered run. They are scared of the frozen water bottles and being misted but love cold fruit/veggies, cool water from the galvonized waterer (I think it keeps the water cooler than the plastic). I've even been known to dig up the dirt on the run floor to keep them busy etc.. The sand in the other section of the run stays pretty cool for dust baths as well.

We love our chickens don't we? How can you not?

 

[mconro]

We have lots of fans, I hang newspaper in their windows during the day (the ones without fans), Their water is changed out a few times a day and ice is added, they have litter pans of cool water and I give them cool sand to "play" in. I have also been know to spray down the chicken house to cool it and wet down chickens. Yes, I worry about my babies!!