We used to have a pet rabbit. He had a cooling stone. It was a thin piece of marble that we paid a about $10 for at a pet store. It naturally stayed cool. Would be a need idea to use something like that for chickens to rest on and cool off.I noticed this morning that the vb has attacked my pumpkins. At least 1 vine looks pretty decimated and infested. I will need to go over it more closely this evening and try to exorcise the little demons. Grrr.....
It's going to be HOT today....and even HOTTER tomorrow. I have some cold watermelon ready for the girls which I will give them this afternoon when it gets really bad. I'll put some ice in their water too...
Luckily I had a TON of giant shade trees which helps. I also have fans in every coop but being dual purpose birds, they don't tend to tolerate the heat really well. I tried giving them a very shallow swimming pool one year. Didn't work. They drank out of it but wouldn't walk in it. Oh well.... I always daydream about things I'd do to improve my property if money were no obstacle.... One of them would be to put in a shallow little creek with a small pool at the end (for the ducks). I'd put in a pump to push water back up to the top of the hill where it would "wash" back down via the creek. Probably wouldn't be expensive to put in....maybe a couple hundred bucks, but not money I want to spend right now when I have other things that are higher priority. Maybe one day....
Our chickens seem to currently prefer digging holes to sit in when it gets hot. The dirt a few inches down can be much cooler and more moist. Our run ends up looking like the surface of the moon, but the chickens are happy and heathy.