Topic of the Week - Keeping Chickens Cool in Summer

[jBabychickn]

I use 90% shade cloth and make teepee like structures because I don’t have a lot of shade

I love the 90% shade cloths!!! They are fairly inexpensive as well

 

[HennaPenHollyPol]

Has anyone tried a pet cooling mat for their chickens? It has a pressure activated gel that keeps 5-10 degrees cooler than the surrounding environment.

 

[3KillerBs]

Has anyone tried a pet cooling mat for their chickens? It has a pressure activated gel that keeps 5-10 degrees cooler than the surrounding environment.

I'd expect them to destroy such a thing rapidly with sharp beaks and scratching claws.

 

[HennaPenHollyPol]

I'd expect them to destroy such a thing rapidly with sharp beaks and scratching claws.

That's a possibility but, that's not what I inquired about.

 

[jBabychickn]

Has anyone tried a pet cooling mat for their chickens? It has a pressure activated gel that keeps 5-10 degrees cooler than the surrounding environment.

I’d be worried they scratch at it enough to break it open, then they’d be exposed to whatever chemical goo is inside there…
It’s not worth the risk to me, not when there’s plenty of other options easily available to me

~> Just my friendly Opinion

 

[aart]

Has anyone tried a pet cooling mat for their chickens? It has a pressure activated gel that keeps 5-10 degrees cooler than the surrounding environment.

The quick read I did says they work with the weight of the animal and that size is important due to that. I doubt a chicken would weigh enough for these to be a viable source of cooling.

 

[jBabychickn]

— When I saw this Topic of the Week — Keeping Chickens Cool in the Summer
I immediately thought of this video clip from last Summer! … It’s definitely one of my favorites!

Summertime Cool-Down Activity Treat!

— What we used = We added Cherry Tomatoes, Pink Lady Apples(peeled & scored), Chia Seeds, Oatmeal flakes and Ice cubes to the water !
— Side Note: They love how the Chia Seeds & Oatmeal flakes float on top of the water; they’ll continue to float for about 20-30 minutes or until they become waterlogged.

The quick read I did says they work with the weight of the animal and that size is important due to that. I doubt a chicken would weigh enough for these to be a viable source of cooling.

Good point

 

[Ponypoor]

Water, shade from trees, they have access to the barn which is lovely and cool with the alleyway breezeway, in the evening when they go to bed in their Hen House, I have 2 box fans running until after midnight (when the temps usually drop).

I am toying with the idea of getting a portable evaporative AC unit (swamp coolers I think they are also called) for the evenings in the Hen House instead of the box fans. Evenings and night are worse than during the day here, I need to ensure they are locked up secure from coons, coyotes, wolves, bears, etc - during the day the trees and barn keep them cool.

 

[aldarita]

Water, shade from trees, they have access to the barn which is lovely and cool with the alleyway breezeway, in the evening when they go to bed in their Hen House, I have 2 box fans running until after midnight (when the temps usually drop).

I am toying with the idea of getting a portable evaporative AC unit (swamp coolers I think they are also called) for the evenings in the Hen House instead of the box fans. Evenings and night are worse than during the day here, I need to ensure they are locked up secure from coons, coyotes, wolves, bears, etc - during the day the trees and barn keep them cool.

Yep, temps here in south Texas don't go down much during the night, we are still in the low 80's at that time, plus adding the radiant heat that comes down throughout the night from the roofs in the coops it's just too much. I have fans in all my coops that work all day and night since they are coming in and out to lay eggs. I have several openings in the coops to let the hot air out. They still pant.

 

[Barnette]

My hens free-range most of the day but rarely stray far from the coop. I place fresh water containers around the coop and nearby every day so they can refresh themselves. I add a bucket of ice on extra-hot days.