ways to cool your chickens off?

[oliviad51]

Does anyone know of some good ways to cool my chickens off? They have shade, but they pant hard all day and I figured we would get more eggs if they could cool off.

 

[AndreaS]

Here's What I've been doing.

I spray their run and shady areas/ dust bath spots down with water in the morning and again in the afternoon if I'm home. I also have a fan outside of the fence pointed at the favorite dust bath spot. I put out extra waterers and fill them with ice, or freeze them overnight so They can melt throughout the day and supply my girls with cool water. I also freeze soda bottles of water and place them around in the shade. I freeze watermelon and give it to them to Peck at.

When the temps get close to 100, I will occasionally give them electrolytes in their water. Just be really careful with the dosage of these!

Hope this helps!

 

[Cats Critters]

Fans, frozen water filled pop/milk cartons/jugs (I can't think of a good way to say it) to lay against, misters, and lots of fresh cold water available at all times in different spots.

 

[azmotogirl]

We picked up personal misters as Ace Hardware (Home Depot and other stores carry them also) and the mist cools off a good sized corner of the run. The chickens were afraid of it at first but love it now. They stand under it to cool off. Here is a picture of what we use......

 

[Karin J.]

Those misters are a great idea! Can I ask how expensive they were?

 

[elmo]

I picked up a mister like that last year at Lowes or Home Depot. It cost around $10.

 

[kfchickenlady]

until you get a mister, you can attach a spray gun to your hose and set it to mist, attach it to the run fencing. Im doing that today, its 105 here.....in the shade and breeze, they are still panting.

 

[oliviad51]

What do the frozen water bottles do?

 

[kelidei]

I put the sprinkler on the finest setting and place it where it can hit the front couple of feet in all three runs... they run in and out of the sprinkler to get cooled off--- the hose sprayer on mist sounds like a good idea too!

 

[AndreaS]

Quote:
If you place them in the shade, they lay up against them to cool off.

It's funny about the mister, I was at home depot the other day and they had one of those set up at the garden center register with a fan behind it. I had never seen one before, and the first thing I thought was "That's what my chicken's need!"
Glad to know they aren't expensive. I'm picking one up this week!