what to do when it going to be 100 out

[nicokl502]

thanks guy i will try all that stuff. it's the 1st summer for all my gals and that why i post this i live kc, mo and our summer suck it always way to hot to do anything but we have been so lucky and this is the 1st time it has been in the 100's and i have been so worried that the may get to hot i they have shade right now but by 4 there only a little bit left, i just planted a tree but its going to be a few year before that going to help with shade, what can i do for shade now?????

 

[galanie]

Get a cheap tarp and put it up over their run or somewhere for shade now. I was very surprised how much cooler it made my run. In fact, they hang out there during the heat of the afternoon often rather than under the shade of a tree! Having a wading pool in it with about 2 inches of water probably is the reason.

Get an old childs solid plastic wading pool or something similar and put just a couple inches of water in it. They'll walk through it and that'll help cool them down, too.

 

[borderman]

Here in Louisiana, we're like the guys and gals in texas, hot and humid. I keep the fans running in the hen house and set up extra waterers. Chickens seem to do fine. They change their areas of shade several times of day, but no problems.

 

[nicokl502]

i wish i could run a fan but my coop is so far from our house i think our 9 week old puppy may chew on the wire from the house to the coop i may try the tarp idea in MO it gets hot and very very humid too, if it was just hot that wouldn't be too bad but the humid is what kills you, we have just been lucky this year and it didn't get hot till now, i did know about putting a wading pool i will have to try that too, thanks for the great ideas

 

[speedy2020]

Costco has the solar arctic fan on sale now for $249.99. If you live in the hot year round climate, it may be worth it.

 

[ChicksterJo]

Will my chickens eventually learn to at least tolerate the water that gets misted on them? I get worried sick about them in our heat (it was 103 today) and I mist them, but they flap about and run away. Occasionally I'll dip a few of my chickens' feet in water and that cools them down a little, but they hate that too.

 

[speckledhen]

Mine don't like to be misted, but we sometimes wet down one area and when they walk in it and realize it's cool, they lay in it. This group of youngsters has a covered pen, which has a silver reflective tarp over 3/4 of the top and this is how we do their water out in the pen. The 2 liter bottle has a hole in the side near the bottom. Every evening, we fill with water and freeze upside down. As temps begin to rise at midday, we take it out to their pen, put some mason's line that is secured from the framework of the pen cover around the top of the bottle (to keep the bottle upright), and place the frozen bottle in a small dog bowl with some water in it. As the day gets hotter, the water in the bottle melts and they have ice water all day long. They love it. Here is a pic of it.

 

[southerndesert]

Mine do not like a mister either, but will use it when it gets very hot here like yesterday when 118 was our high, seriously! When the temps are 105 of below as they are most or July, August, and September they don't get like getting wet and avoid it so we leave it off. Yesterday however they all huddled in the shade under the cooling wet air all afternoon while the sun baked our world in AZ.

They do fine normally even in the heat without misting.

 

[WendyGrama]

In N AZ, I'm putting a metal roof and partial opaque fence to help with shade and rain. At the old homestead where they could free range they spent a lot of time down by the pond in the damp soil even digging into it, never went into the water though. Otherwise I would think shade fabric would be better than a tarp as it allows the air to circulate and the hot air to escape...

I love the idea of putting frozen water containers in with them. I lived in BC Can most of my life and didn't have much of a summer heat problem so this is kinda new to me. I have 11 coming 2 week ole mixed chicks in my uninsulated art studio, by 8am the broody lamp is off and doesn't go back on till 11p or later now that summer is here. They are still panting by 2p and so am I and dripping so tomorrow I will try the ice packs in with them and see what they do with that.

 

[Shikens!]

It's so hot here it took me less than 2 weeks of having my first chickens to put an AC unit in my coop. I was panic stricken all day long, constantly checking on them and bringing them ice water and hosing down the run... I can't even explain how much calmer and relaxed I am knowing I'm not going to walk out in the afternoon and find fried chicken in the coop! For me the extra expense is 100% worth it for my peace of mind.