Who is keeping their chickens in the basement because of the heat?

[Chicky Monkey]

75+ chickens?!? Wow, are you a DEDICATED chicken owner!!!! I am amazed!

How's that workin' out for ya?

 

[Chicky Monkey]

I caved...couldn't handle cleaning the basement 2 or 3 times daily of all the chicken poop! Plus, I noticed the house upstairs was alot dustier, which worried me. Soooooo, I bought a small window unit air conditioner and my tolerant husband installed it in their inside coop for when it's really hot!! Plus, I turn it on if it gets muggy/hot inside so my chickies can lay their precious eggs in more comfort! 'They' are saying the heat index here in Kansas is going to reach 100 degrees or more today and tomorrow. Ahhhhhh.....FALL come to us all ready! And staaaaayyyyy for a LONG time!!

 

[flowergirl60]

I don't bring in my chickens. We have had 69 days of triple diget heat not counting the heat index. My poor girls. They have pleny of shade and fresh water though. We just have too many days of heat and they would be miserable in the house "cooped" up. They are use too the heat and seem to be doing ok. Oh and no rain all year.

 

[Moogie]

I'm also in Texas (DFW) and it's been a brutal summer. We don't have nice, cool basements here - just slab foundations, so we have to get creative. I put solar screen over their hoop coop with a fan blowing 24 hours/day, add a 2-liter frozen bottle of water to their water bucket every afternoon, and have misters set to run during the 4 hottest hours every day. I also set up a 3' kiddie pool filled with sand - when it's over 100, I spray it down to give them a cool spot. My chooks are so funny - they position themselves directly under the misters to get wet and then go stand in front of the fan -- their own version of a swamp cooler, lol! And it's amazing how all 10 can cram themselves into their sand "box" - ok, actually 8, but they're constantly playing musical chairs there...

Our forecast calls for 3 more days of temps over 105 - then it should cool down to the high-90's by September 2nd. I can hardly wait!!!!

 

[Chicky Monkey]

I am so sorry Texas is still having such horrid temps! NE Kansas finally got back to more 'normal' temps, but the humidity is still ridiculous. My chickens hated being in the basement at first, then got used to it and even liked it. I had one chicken that kept running to the house to be let in! Every once in a while, I would hear crashes and a big ruckus, so I would run down to the basement to see what was going on. There would be something knocked over, but the chickens would be all calm and innocent looking, just sweetly chirping like it wasn't THEM! I swear, I think they did it on purpose just to get me down there! Chicky monkeys! Because of the humidity, I still often turn on the air conditioner in their coop during the AM so they can lay their eggs in comfort, and still transfer them to the portable A-frame pen under shade with a big shop fan turned on low for them. I always give them cold (from the fridge) water and cold, chopped up vegies. I gave them frozen blueberries and strawberries the other day, and they looked at me like I was crazy (they are very intuitive) and never touched them....picky little buggers!