Topic of the Week - Keeping Chickens Cool in Summer

[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...View attachment 1055972

Oh and I pour the melted water bottles from the previous day out so it makes a little mud...they love that!

 

[memphis]

 

[SoCalClucker]

Haaaaaa!!!

 

[barred2rock]

View attachment 1056294

Does she talk into it, like I did as a kid?

 

[21hens-incharge]

OK so two things...
FAN-tastic!

And she is very pretty!

 

[MattyE]

What do you use for shallow water dishes that the chickens can stand in? My run will be 8x10 and the small kiddie pools I've found would take up a lot of space. Summer can be really hot in MO and my coop in a yard with little shade though it and the run will have a roof topped with white metal roofing.

I use old baking pans, old dog bowls, take out or heavy duty plastic meat containers. I try to use anything old and smooth or non-porous so it's easy to rinse out with the hose and refill... plus they're going to eventually ruin whatever you use

 

[SoCalClucker]

Does she talk into it, like I did as a kid?

Aaaaaaaaaa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a

 

[jeria]

plus they're going to eventually ruin whatever you use [/QUOTE]

How do they get ruined? They are not that big and are not destructive like a parrot's strong beak can be. Just curious.

 

[Jillalder]

Hi All! I'm new to the Chicken community, started with four brooders. The girls are now about 12 weeks old and we have had a heat wave of over 100 degree's last week. I got a couple of the largest cheap, flimsy plastic dishes you put under a potter plant, and fill that with water. Makes a nice shallow pool for the girls and cost $2

 

[SuziQ18]

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!

I started with ice but it melted so fast that I use the small bottled waters frozen and drop them inside my large waterers. It keeps the water inside the waterers cool all day long!