When to bring chickens inside due to heat.

[GRB73]

Heat indexes are expected in the 100 to 105 range this weekend. The girls have access to shade and water during the day. Do you think it would be helpful to bring them into an air conditioned mudroom at night ( three 2.5 yo chickens in one large dog crate) to offer them relief for a few hours or would the stress of new surroundings harm more than help? The coop gets so hot and doesn't cool off much on the hottest nights. I won't leave the coop door open for fear of predators, either.
We've kept them in the crate before, in the winter when temps were below 0. During those times they were in the garage, which was a balmy 20 degrees.
Thanks for your input.

 

[Aapomp831]

You can cut a hole into the door and cover it with predator proof screening... make a screened window of sorts.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would not, instead make sure good ventilation, shade and water.

 

[emmyn74]

I wouldn't bring them in....they should be able to handle the heat just make sure they have enough water available...I cut a hole in the side of my building and put a fan in it with welded wire covering the hole to keep predators out...it's still pretty hot in there but it gets a little cooler at night. It wouldn't be good on them to bring them in and get used to that temp and then move them back out to their building changing temp again...

 

[aart]

A dose of Sav-A-Chick electrolytes/vitamins can really help.
1/4 tsp in 1 Pint of water.
Always have fresh plain water available at the same time.

What else do you do for battling the heat?
Can you rig a fan to blow cooler air into the coop late in the day?

 

[Michael Propst]

I have only had my girls for a year and last summer was not that bad. Here in Kansas we have already hit multiple days in a row with heat indexes up to 110 the girls were panting allot but did well with plenty of water. Today they are predicting regular temps of 103 with indexes close to 115. I am still new to this but I agree with what the experts are chiming in with, I think it would be more of a shock to bring them into the cool then put them back out into the heat instead of just letting them acclimate themselves to the heat. As others have mentioned I have installed a fan into my run which directs air through the coop, in addition when I built my new coop in included in it 4 windows that can be open. As long as I have been able to provide some air flow they seem to be much happier.

 

[techbsmith]

Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation. For the coop, ventilation is crucial for not just heat management, but health of the flock. My main coop is one that was built by the local Mennonite community - It's a great coop, but needed more air flow than the single window. I first cut 5"X5" holes on each side of the coop up near the top and covered with 6"X6" vent covers to permit more air flow. It's worked great up until now - we're getting heat indexes this week of 105+ as well.

I'm getting ready to install a 10" exhaust fan on the front porch of the coop. Tho the fan is rated for farm use, I want it under cover to prevent rain from getting to it. For reference, here are the items I got from Amazon - you don't have to get all three, but I figure the variable speed and thermostat are nice options.

The only other things you would need is 12/2 electrical wire, a plastic junction box, and some wire nuts. For reference, I wire hot to the thermostat -> Variable Speed Control -> Fan.

That way the thermostat decides power on/off based on setting. Once powered on, the variable speed control decides on/off and if on, what speed the fan will operate at.

Hopefully that's all clear as mud! In the short run - a cheap box fan and extension cord works as well

Fan from Amazon
https://tinyurl.com/ybapu8q5

Variable Speed Control from Amazon
https://tinyurl.com/yaosmfnp

Thermostat from Amazon
https://tinyurl.com/yaosmfnp

 

[microchick]

I wouldn't bring healthy young birds in. BUT last night I did bring a broody inside in the expectation of temps in the mid 90s and high heat indices over the next three days. She isn't really 'inside' but in a shop with a thick concrete floor that is about 15 degrees cooler than outside and in her own little coop.

I had broodies during the last heat wave last month. Unusually high temps for May, upper 90s with heat indexes in the mid 100s. Wound up with a lot of dead chicks in the shell and deformities that when I did the research discovered were from high heat issues.

Now I can turn a fan on her to help keep her cooler and protect her and her eggs from the heat.

 

[CourtKnee]

When our chicks were three weeks old and had grown out of their brooder (three weeks ago) we moved them to their coop. The first few days I brought them back in for a few hours when the heat jumped to 98+ degrees until just before sunset. We live in the high desert of Southern CA so it only gets a lot hotter from here! At the time I just did what felt right.

Now that they have been outside for about three weeks and the temperature is going to consistently stay hot, we have done a few things to help. I think the best thing so far is the misters we hung around their run. Just a few minutes on and they can decrease the temperature by around 10 degrees. We also got a mortar tub, lined it with bricks and fill it with fresh water every morning. The chickens can stand on the cool bricks in the heat of the day and drink the water along the sides. We put fans in the coop as well but it still gets 100+ degrees in there. We currently have a pop tent/tarp over the run/coop right now too. I’d say it helps decrease the temp by around 5 degrees.

This is our first batch of chickens and I have become incredibly attached to them. The summer heat really gets me worried. People out here who only provide water and shade during the summer will lose a couple hens, and in my tiny flock of just 7 incredible ladies with lovely personalities, I can’t afford to lose any... my heart just can’t have that.

 

[aart]

When our chicks were three weeks old and had grown out of their brooder (three weeks ago) we moved them to their coop. The first few days I brought them back in for a few hours when the heat jumped to 98+ degrees until just before sunset.

At 3 weeks they can't regulate their internal temps as well as an older bird....and bringing them to a cooler place for an hour or so won't hurt as long as the temp differential is not too great.