I like that except the water methods. Water is the culprit that allows coccidiosis to grow and incubate. Used misters one year, lost my lavender wyondottes. Used a pool the next and again another growth of coccidiosis. We now allow chickens to dig their hole to the cool earth and we place fans not directly on them. We have temps here in north Florida sometimes up to 104 and all has been good. Our pens stay dry as can be. That was too much for me heartwise and moneywise. Also everyone reading... coccidiosis is carried by dogs and once that is put into soil it would take you completely stripping your yard of all the grass and two feet of soil and there are still no promises it is taken care of. I don’t know how the ones using water manage to avoid. Maybe its a Florida thing.
 
I have had no problems but I only put the sprinklers on for a little while, long enough to cool the ground down. There is no grass in the pens anymore. The birds destroyed it years ago. The sand does get hot where there is no shade and the birds will run across the hot sand to get under their shade treed.
IMG_20180503_094119.jpg
 
Good tips and important to heed as temperatures get hotter and, in some areas, like mine, critical.

Glad to see they went for shade first. I think that's really important.

In addition to box fans and cooling their water with ice, on the worst days, I put a 10# block of ice inside the run in front of one of the fans (which are outside the runs blowing across it). Lots of trips to the ice house -- cause I have to buy it daily -- but the only "air conditioning" I can afford outside and a 10# blocks lasts through the hottest hours.

I lost a lovely hen last year when we had triple digits that went on for weeks. I'm determined to be more aggressive and avoid that this year!
 
I've been feeding cool treats and misting to keep them cool. Seems to be working. I read that you can fill up a couple water bottles with water and freeze them and lay together in one and chicks can snuggle up to them to cool off. What do you think.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom