Too hot help

[cmom]

I would get rid of the rats and mice. This bait box won't allow anything to get at the bait except the rats and mice. I have some and they are very effective. I don't find dead rats around because they are diggers and most likely have tunnels which they go into and die most of the time. You may find a dead rat now and then but most go into their tunnels and die.

 

[Pecky03]

Not in the dark. They can't defend themselves in the dark.
How and why are mice and rats getting in?

I haven’t seen any in their pen but I know we have them in the neighborhood.. so just as a precaution .

 

[Pecky03]

Video has to be uploaded to Youtube or similar format then you paste a link in your message.

I would just install a roost in the 1/2" HC portion of the run and leave them in there. Can you get a fan blowing on them? Have you had rats/mice get into the open bottom portion of your coop that is enclosed with HC?

 

[Pecky03]

I can put a fan out here I just didn’t know if the components of the fan would melt in 110. With the misters and the ice bottles I get the pen down to 90° according to the thermometer inside the pen. But at night I don’t have the misters running and they’re always breathing at night with their mouth open.. freaks me out. That’s why maybe I’ll just keep them inside at night for a few more weeks until the heat lightens up.

 

[DobieLover]

I haven’t seen any in their pen but I know we have them in the neighborhood.. so just as a precaution .

If you remove all food at night and only leave water in there, I don't think you will attract rodents.
Regardless, locking them up in the coop at night is certainly going to cause more harm than good at this point. Just leave it open so they can go up there at night if they want. Close them into the pre-fab coop/run combo at night. If you can install a roost and put a fan on them along with their cold fresh water and misters I think you can get them through the heat.
You might want to consider building a new coop for them with much more ventilation and a much more secure run.
Good luck.

 

[cmom]

Where do you live. It gets hot here too. I do have shade trees in the pens and sprinklers I can put on plus rain/shade tables the birds can get under. Maybe you bird died from some other reason. I have went out even in cooler weather and found a bird dead in a coop for no apparent reason. It happens.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC, and good luck in resolving the over heating problem.

 

[Pecky03]

Where do you live. It gets hot here too. I do have shade trees in the pens and sprinklers I can put on plus rain/shade tables the birds can get under. Maybe you bird died from some other reason. I have went out even in cooler weather and found a bird dead in a coop for no apparent reason. It happens.

I live in Vegas. We’re expecting it to get super hot this next month. For the most part they seem fine except for when they walk around with their mouth open. I was devastated to come down in the morning to see her laying there. I look forward to my morning coffee with the girls. I’m still crying over it.

 

[cmom]

I have put pans of cold water and the birds love to stand in the cool water. I put the sprinklers on for awhile and it cools down the ground some too. We have a lot of sand and it gets hot. The birds run across it to get under their shade trees. This picture was taken last winter. We are generally in the 90's here. Our hottest temperature this summer so far was 101. Probably not quite as hot here as it is there. Shade and cool water. Some people put blocks of ice in totes similar to a shoe box or freeze water in a plastic shoe box. I used the shallow totes that go under a bed. The ice melts and gives the birds something cool to peck at. Good luck...

 

[igorsMistress]

I'm sorry you lost one of your girls. The heat can be brutal. I wouldn't bring them inside, makes it worse when they go back outside. They have to be able to handle it. Deep shade and cool water to wade in are best. Cool treats during the hot part of the day like cucumbers and watermelon, not necessarily cold from the fridge but room temp is fine. Also, Sav A Chick a few times a week is helpful. Consider a different breed of chicken, something without a bunch of fluff if that's what you've got.
Good luck!