Tile cooling station

[Aunt Angus]

I have read many use misters and love them. I bought a mister system a few weeks ago, but have yet to install it. Maybe I will do that tomorrow. We are looking at upper 90s this week. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[IamRainey]

I don't like the idea of misters because, while the immediate effect may be some cooling, ultimately you're adding humidity to the heat. And, having grown up in a river valley, I know that that's the wrong way to go in the long run.

 

[Ponte]

Gotta use big chunks of ice.

What is the tile sitting on that it stays cool 24 hours...is it bedded in concrete?
Curious too about how thick tile is?

It’s not that the tile is cold, it’s the heat conductivity. If you have ever layed on tile, you will know that you feel cold fairly quickly. It’s not because the tile is colder than the room, it’s actually at room temperature but it draws the heat away from your body.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I don't like the idea of misters because, while the immediate effect may be some cooling, ultimately you're adding humidity to the heat. And, having grown up in a river valley, I know that that's the wrong way to go in the long run.

It is soooooooo dry here. We have misters everywhere people gather in this area: parks, zoos, restaurant patios.... I can see that being an issue in damper climates. Having spent summers in Southeast Asia and in Central and South American rain forests, I completely understand your point! Heat + humidity = ew.

 

[aart]

I don't like the idea of misters because, while the immediate effect may be some cooling, ultimately you're adding humidity to the heat. And, having grown up in a river valley, I know that that's the wrong way to go in the long run.

Definitely only work well where it is always really dry.

 

[jlwquilter]

I set the water bucket (5 gallon bucket) with the water cup things on several pavers to elevate it. Then I put in frozen gallon water jug to cool the water.

The hens now lay right up against the pavers. I’m thinking the ice cold water thru the plastic bucket is cooling the pavers and they are using that to cool themselves, so a great benefit found by accident!

It’s already in the mid-90s here and the hens are panting often. I’ve added a box fan to the coop and now the cooling pavers. I’m thinking if ways to extend the cooling pavers so more hens can take advantage of it. The bossy girls hog it. I do have a plastic tub located under a garbage picked low coffee table in the run filled with water with iced Gatorade bottles in it. Some hens cozy up to that cold plastic tub too. Again, trying to think of a good way to get more ‘cooling stations’ set up.

 

[IamRainey]

I set the water bucket (5 gallon bucket) with the water cup things on several pavers to elevate it. Then I put in frozen gallon water jug to cool the water.

This sounds like a good idea and I'd like to employ it.

I have this style watering fount sitting on concrete cinderblocks.




I'm trying to figure out how to freeze a large mass of ice that would last for a while and still be narrow enough to fit through the relatively narrow neck. The container I use for freezing will have to have straight sides that will release the ice and be large enough to make a difference in 5 gallons of water.

 

[jlwquilter]

This sounds like a good idea and I'd like to employ it.

I have this style watering fount sitting on concrete cinderblocks.

I'm trying to figure out how to freeze a large mass of ice that would last for a while and still be narrow enough to fit through the relatively narrow neck. The container I use for freezing will have to have straight sides that will release the ice and be large enough to make a difference in 5 gallons of water.

How big is the mouth opening?

For me I fill the 5 gallon waterer half way. The frozen gallon jug cools the lesser amount of water quickly and for along time - most of the day. If the water gets low I just add some from the hose or - and I do this most often - pour some of the water from inside the frozen jug (which has melted) into the waterer for drinking use.

I have set up a rotation of frozen bottles and jugs in my freezer. At the end of the day I removed the now defrosted bottles. I pour the water into the waterer as needed then refill and refreeze the bottles. The next morning I pull out the second day set of frozen bottles and add those to the waterers and tubs while the ones from last night communities freeze up. This cycle keeps me in frozen bottles and minimises the number of bottles I have in the freezer.

For you with a narrow neck to deal with I’d think of popsicle makers or even ice cube trays. If you make a funnel out of stiff cardboard or similar you can pour the ice cubes into the narrow opening. Filling half with water and half with cubes will keep the water cold for hours and hours. And replenish the actual drinking water directly which my system with the bottles does not. I do get chucks of ice from my broken-ish ice makes (it leaks) and I throw them in directly.

With ice cubes you can make up bags ahead of time and have them ready to add on the morning or at anytime.

Just a thought.

 

[Ponte]

I took your ideas and bought water nipples for an old bucket of mine. Filled it up about a third and dropped a frozen liter size water bottle.
The hens seem very happy.
My only concern is algae, should I put a few drops of beach in it or just clean the bucket every two days or so.

 

[jlwquilter]

I’m sure I lifted the General
Idea from Someone else
And am so happy to pass it along.

I put a capful of ACV in the buckets/pans as suggested here, everywhere, on BYC. I’ve only seen a little algae on the outside pans, not the inside coop bucket waterers with the cup drinkers... yet. It’s not been very long I’ve been using them. That said I do totally change the water every few days and give it a quick scrub with a clean cloth. I’ve not used bleach...yet.

One of the nice things about not having to fill the 5 gallon up more than a third or so is it’s much easier for me to carry it to a dumping place.

Please post back after a few days of your new cold water system and tell us how it’s working!