Too hot

[Clmirabilio92]

Wasnt sure which category this discussion should go, but I have my flock of 8 big chickens, 5 teenager chicks, 2 small chicks and my 4 ducks. It has just now started hitting temps of 100 here and I've been doing my absolute best to keep up with their waters outside. I have 5 small water areas up and the pool for the ducks is always have filled up high with water, but they still are hot . They have been digging holes and laying in the cool dirt, hanging out in the coops, and sitting in the shade not doing a whole lot. Is there anything else I can do to help them?? I wish I could just bring them inside with me in the a.c., but unfortunately i cant. oh, I also bring them ice to peck and get extra water from, cause it melts fast!!

 

[GuineaFowling]

Try freezing ice in large containers. The larger ice pieces will melt slower. Drop several into the duck pool and give the chickens a wide bowl with some ice to stand in too. I freeze milk gallon jugs and put them around the coop when it gets too hot to cool it down. Also try leaving a mister on during the hottest part of the day.

 

[aldarita]

If you live in a very humid area, misters don't work, I tried them myself and they dropped the temps just a bit (I used the correct orifices for humid areas). The best thing I have seen to do during hot days is to provide them with plenty of shade and run some fans to move the hot air around, it seems to help them cool off, also place deep containers with lots of dirt for dust baths if they don't have their own areas on the ground. Mine spend a long time bathing in the sand and they go deep to bring the cooler sand up. If you can provide shallow trays with water and make them get on it (not many like to do that but the few that do, stand on the water to get cool).

 

[Clmirabilio92]

Thanks! I'm gonna try maybe a shallow container lid or old cat litter box and put ice cold water in it and see if they would like to stand in it lol. I just brought them out watermelon and I'm even growing a water melon plant, that's coming along nicely!- for them specifically lol. The ducks are nice and happy, and cool in their pool water they dig nice big holes everywhere and just lay in them almost all day long. They just still all look incredibly hot . I feel so bad for them! This is the first super hot summer here in Florida that I have had them, not sure how the older ones did eith their previous owners in the summer!

If you live in a very humid area, misters don't work, I tried them myself and they dropped the temps just a bit (I used the correct orifices for humid areas). The best thing I have seen to do during hot days is to provide them with plenty of shade and run some fans to move the hot air around, it seems to help them cool off, also place deep containers with lots of dirt for dust baths if they don't have their own areas on the ground. Mine spend a long time bathing in the sand and they go deep to bring the cooler sand up. If you can provide shallow trays with water and make them get on it (not many like to do that but the few that do, stand on the water to get cool).

 

[Clmirabilio92]

Thanks so much for your help!!

Try freezing ice in large containers. The larger ice pieces will melt slower. Drop several into the duck pool and give the chickens a wide bowl with some ice to stand in too. I freeze milk gallon jugs and put them around the coop when it gets too hot to cool it down. Also try leaving a mister on during the hottest part of the day.

 

[besorto]

try frozen berries! My hens love pecking at them to keep cool during the summer.

 

[Clmirabilio92]

That's a great idea!! Thank you

try frozen berries! My hens love pecking at them to keep cool during the summer.

 

[aart]

Is there anything else I can do to help them?? I wish I could just bring them inside with me in the a.c., but unfortunately i cant.

That would not be good for them anyway.

Frozen foods are not the answer, but they may seem like a good idea to the keepers so they sure are popular.

Deep all day shade is number one, I don't have that but have found these two things have helped the most.
I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
it really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
I just mix up about a quart in an open waterer, always have plain water available too
.
BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
I have a couple other big shallow pans(made for under a water heater) too.

Make space in your freezer!

 

[Clmirabilio92]

I will definitely grab some of those asap! Thank you!!

That would not be good for them anyway.

Frozen foods are not the answer, but they may seem like a good idea to the keepers so they sure are popular.

Deep all day shade is number one, I don't have that but have found these two things have helped the most.
I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
it really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
I just mix up about a quart in an open waterer, always have plain water available too
.
BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
I have a couple other big shallow pans(made for under a water heater) too.
View attachment 1792005

Make space in your freezer!
View attachment 1792008

 

[Mark Armstrong]

I have electricity but no easy access to pressurized water so I was thinking about putting a small evaporative cooler in my coop, Not sure how well this will work or not, I lost 2 birds last summer to this N. Texas heat, the large chunks of ice is something I can try as well