Topic of the Week - Keeping Chickens Cool in Summer

[GC-Raptor]

I screw all my chickens bowls to a wall or post, so no spills.

Yeah that'll work. GC

 

[SuziQ18]

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Pic by @tnt-ranch ​

Summer time is a wonderful time, but with the sunshine and long days comes a potential hazard for our flocks: extreme heat. Chickens naturally wear a warm coat of feathers and can overheat easily, therefor it's essential that we provide means for them to cool down, if needed, and regulate their body temperatures. What do you all do to help your flocks beat the heat?

I have two fans to circulate air, a small stand-up mister in one the corner of their run (which they "flock" too), and drop frozen bottles of water into each of their waterers every morning when I fill them with fresh water to keep the waterers cool throughout the day. I also have heat resistant silver tarps on the top and each side of their run which I can pull down or take up according to where the sun is blazing at any certain time of day as well as offering refrigerated fruits (such as watermelon), etc.

 

[culturalinfidel]

I am filling our water container constantly. We also have a raised coop with a 2' run underneath and a footprint of 4'x8' so our girls get plenty of shade.

Question: Will overheating cause hens to stop laying?

 

[GC-Raptor]

My girls slowed down last week when we were hot and humid, but didn't stop em. I got 29 from 5 hens, Sunday through Saturday. I usually get 32 to 35. GC

 

[Sunny-Side Up]

I've added oats to my feed (50/50) during the summer, which helps keep up egg production during the summer. I've planted trees in my run to provide shade, and make sure there is water always. My chickens are also heat tolerant.

 

[aart]

Question: Will overheating cause hens to stop laying?

If they get dehydrated or heat stroked, yes indeed it will.

 

[SoCalClucker]

So glad I'm not the only one dealing with intense heat! I was thinking today, now that it's breaking 100 degrees at 11 AM, my broody could leave the nest the whole day and the eggs would basically incubate themselves

I put lots of ice in their waterers, wet down the sand that's in the run, and 75% of it is in total shade so they usually get through the day fine. Sometimes I throw ice in for them to walk through, or use my shallow TubTrug as a mini-kiddie pool. I don't have electrical power to the run, but had this brilliant idea today of using an extension cord so am running a small fan to help the air moving. It is HOT!

 

[aldarita]

My chickens' run is of a light dry sandy dirt (more of a dust) and the few inches of straw I've added. Would it be a good idea to wet it down on hotter days (typically it's very dry and temps max out at around 95F - 100F). I'll have to take water over via a bucket so they won't get as much as if they had a hose.

I have sand in my runs so I make it damp with a watering can (the one that is used for watering plants) this way the water is evenly distributed on top of the sand, not too much as to make it muddy but wet enough to cool them down. My chickens love to bathe on it, I use the coolest water i can get.

 

[Little Coop on Salt Creek]

We use automatic waterers, but add in a small extra waterer to the coop and run when the highs are 85 (+/-) a degree or two. We will add in electrolytes to the extra waterers when we are above 90. There is always shade in some form in the coop and/or run. We have also put frozen water bottles into the main water reservoir that the automatic system operates from. We try to mix up the activities for them. They get to free-range in the backyard (for about an hour, before it gets to hot) where there is still morning dew on days we are home and can predator supervise. I give 23 chicks a few slices of watermelon at a time in the hottest part of the day... they ravage it.. even my more shy chicks will come and take big chunks if I hold it out for them. As I type this we had a nice little summer rain come through and all chicks were standing in the run getting a little spray. Our coop and run both have sand floors.

 

[scoopsmom]

I'm a 1st time chicken mom so I probably over do it but...Every morning I take down a bunch of frozen bottles for them: They get a big frozen jug to stand on, I put a frozen bottle in their water to keep it cool, they get fresh water in their little pool along with a frozen thing to keep it from getting hot. They get ice cubes with fruit or meal worms in them as a treat. They were getting watermelon every day but I think I made them tired of it cuz now their just whatever about it.
I live in Texas where it's hot and humid almost all the time so I worry when I see them panting so hard...