Worry - we're having a sudden 30 degree increase in temps to 110+

[FutureChickenMan]

build your own air conditioner from junk.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Free-Air-Conditioning/

 

[jjthink]

Thanks to all for the kind empathy! Everytime I listen to the forcast they adjust the numbers upward. Now an excessive heat warning for my county beginning Saturday, 100 before humidity factored in so it could easily hit 115+ heat index, for days. I alternate between panic about my health-challenged parents and panic about my feathered friends! Those kind of temps are so darn it all deadly (will see how many determined yard sale shoppers there are!)

Good luck to all and I hope nobody loses anybody to the heat.

JJ

Luna/Ginny - Same drill here! I think I will have to blow a fan practically right on them to have any effect.......Are you close enough to the shore to get the cooling effect there?

 

[ruth]

Yeah the heat and humidity is already down here in the South. I knew it was coming but wasn't really prepared that it would go from heater to a/c overnight. Everytime I tried to take down the winterizing we had done to coop (plastic on outside of building) it would turn freezing again. Well a few days ago Mr. Summer moved in and I'm sure he's here to stay. So....I've unnailed an old window in coop that has been nailed shut probably 100 years and put hardware cloth over it. I took down the temporary chicken wire and plastic door covering and made them a real door from an old screen door covered in hardware cloth. Now they have a great air flow going on inside coop with two doors and a window. I've been outside with them for the last three days building and working in coop and they seem to be staying inside coop where it's darker, damp and cooler than outside. They freerange and could be outside under bushes if they wanted but they seem to like the coolness of the coop. I just came in from there and almost everyone was inside with both doors and the window standing wide open and a good strong breeze blowing through. They were still panting.

It's going to be a long summer. And to think I just took the heater out of there the other day.

 

[Lunachick]

Hi JJ - I'm 5 miles from the ocean, so no ocean breeze for us, but my yard is super shady and the chooks are in almost total shade.

Good luck this weekend and keep the water and other cool drinks handy. Do you have AC in the house?

 

[ChickPeas]

This heat is the pits. It's gonna be in the high 90's to 100 here in NC.

So what's with the frozen water bottles..do those really help keep them cool? Does the watermelon give them the runs? Also, do you add electrolytes to their water or in place of?

I'm out of town this weekend and like you JJ, I'm wringing my hands....it kills me to think they're out there panting away and getting hot.

My DH can take care of them, but I still worry.

 

[Miltonchix]

Its been in the upper 90's with my thermometer tipping 106 daily. (thermometer transmitter is mounted on my wood deck. Air temp is not quite that high, but my deck is HOT!! Can't walk barefoot on it hot)
I've provided lots of shade, water, and I give the girls a shower 2 or 3 times a day. They didn't like it the first couple times, but now they come running when I turn on the water.
Funny thing is they aren't interested in the fresh greens I've been giving them everyday. Seems they'd rather have whole oats instead.

 

[SpottedCrow]

We're getting this same crap, Judy, tomorrow through Tuesday!

I'll have the fan going...and extra water.
Too bad we can't hire someone to stand over them and fan them or squirt them with water.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Has anybody thought about making a geothermal cold box?

In other words, dig a hole a 3 or 4 feet deep, fashion a roof of some sort to put over the hole, then cover the roof with the soil you dug out. Like an underground igloo. The opening for going in should be facing away from the sun at all times of the day.

 

[SueNH]

I have my wood stove lit.

 

[rachel]

Quote:
Actually my chickens seem to do this themselves. They dig some pretty deep (maybe getting close to a foot now) holes underneath bushes and hang out there. It's where the sprinklers go, so no doubt the soil is easier to dig and it's much cooler. Great idea.

People really seem to worry about this heat business a lot more than I think they need to. (Probably the same way I worry about them when it gets down to 35 or so.

)We keep chickens in AZ for months of 115 degree temps. Granted it's usually more of a gradual increase, but they make it just fine. This year we did have a week where the high went from 79 to 112 in four days. Here's what I do:
1. Put a frozen water bottle in the water to make sure the water stays cool enough for them to drink (of course it needs to be in full shade all day long)
2. I also place out a couple of frozen water bottles with the lids off on their sides under bushes where the chickens like to hang out. This serves a few purposes-- obviously cools the area with the ice, then cools the dirt with the water, I've found the chickens like to drink from the water bottles too when the ice starts to melt.
3. I try to feed them veggies and fruits (melon rind is perfect) in the morning when it's still cool to get them good and hydrated.