Water too warm in summers

[Jo Plescow]

Does anyone have any tips on how to not let the water get too warm in the summer? I change it once daily. It’s in the shade but it’s starting to get into the 100s in Arizona and I work full time so I can’t change the water more than once a day and it’s definitely warm by the end of the day. And I’m definitely concerned for when it gets to the 115 range

 

[SilverBirds]

What does your watering system look like? You might could try filling it with ice and see if that will help keep it generally cool for most of the day.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

You can try and freeze bottles of water and then place those bottles of water into your watering containers in the shade. They act as one big ice cube. I lived in the valley of So Cal and it was regularly 110+ in the summers.

 

[FunClucks]

What are your night-time temperatures?

Use deep, deep shade.

Use large containers for your water, like 5 gallon buckets or larger with nipple waterers - the larger the amount of water that has to be heated up, the slower it will be heated over the course of the day, meaning the longer it will stay cool.

Insulate your buckets so they take longer to heat up during the day. Styrofoam, spray foam, Reflectix, house insulation (of course you have to make sure the chickens don't eat it because they will try). Igloo coolers (good) or double wall coolers that have a vacuum between the two walls instead of air (best). There are cup and nipple waterer adapters that will screw into an Igloo cooler

Put a large gallon block of ice into your water buckets first thing in the morning before you leave for work. It will melt throughout the day and hopefully delay the heating cycle. A frozen milk jug type gallon of water that you change out each morning could work. Like a reusable ice pack.

If all else fails, change your water every day or every other day. Bacteria as well as dehydration can kill chickens. If they're living at those hot temperatures, they're acclimated to it, the important thing is to keep the water the same temp or cooler than the chickens, not necessarily actually cold. But if the water is hotter than the chickens' body temperature, they won't drink it. Chickens run hot, around 105-107F, so as long as you keep the water lower in temp than that, they should still drink it.

If you were home during the day, I'd suggest a large block of ice you set in a casserole dish - it slowly melts, and they can drink and stand in it. But with that heat, you'd have to replace it at lunchtime at least.

 

[saysfaa]

Insulation. I like vacuum-sealed stainless steel ice buckets.

 

[FunClucks]

Insulation. I like vacuum-sealed stainless steel ice buckets.

I'm going to have to find some of those. That's an excellent idea!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Does anyone have any tips on how to not let the water get too warm in the summer?

What does your watering system look like? In the winter I use black rubber bowls in the sun to try to keep them thawed longer. In summer I use white bowls in the shade or inside the coop out of the sun to try to keep them cooler, but I'm not dealing with 115 F.

 

[saysfaa]

I find them at resale shops once in a while. Or estate sales.