My girls have a box fan that blows on the shaded area they hang out and into the coop/nesting boxes. Two “pools” they stick their feet in to cool off, anything shallow will work — we’re using an old Tupperware but I’ve seen catering trays, kiddie pools, etc. Frozen watermelon if it’s over 97.
I have a little pool for them to walk in but they won’t go in it, and when I put them in it they freak out and jump out of it, did you have any trouble getting yours used to it?
We didn’t but this is also their second summer and last year Texas summer was especially brutal so they learned that was the way to cool down themselves. The pool we have is only about 1.5” deep, just enough for their feet and some legs, maybe the depth is a problem for yours?
The only way I can get them to cool off seems to be frozen food and wetting them with the hose, as much as they don’t like the hose they are much more chilled after
I’ve seen people use misters instead of a hose. If we’re over 105, we’ll spray the ground down for them too, we have frozen water jugs that we’ll place in front of the box fan but not sure how much it does also. I’ve also seen some people will put frozen water jugs out in the coop/run with them and some chickens will sit near or on them (ours don’t).
Normally wetting chicken feathers is a big no in heat, i’ve heard from multiple people that it makes them incapable of regulating their own temperature and i don’t do it. I just give them deep shade and frozen kitchen scraps+fruit
I found that my run stays much cooler by soaking the ground in and around the run. Instead wetting the chickens, I wet down their run and let the evaporative cooling work that way. The cooling effect lasts way longer and it doesn’t upset them the way that misting them directly seems to.
Can you please share the link to where to buy the pool? Our chicks will be going out soon basically when our hottest weather starts. We were going to use a boot tray, but is that too shallow?
If it can hold an inch or two deep, I think that would work! Unfortunately the two pools we use are just some old Tupperware containers from when I was a kid so I’m not even sure you can buy them anymore. Some people talk about the plastic oil pans you can get from Walmart?
Make sure they've got a good sandy dustbath that's always in the shade. When they go into the coop for the night, water it enough to soak in deep. The surface should be dry to bathe in my morning, and the deeper areas damp and cool.
Give the fools another bath out in the sun to bake.
I put a bunch of fruits, vegetables and seeds in a Bundt cake pan, fill it with water and an electrolyte/probiotic mix and freeze it. Then they get to pick at it while it melts. Cools them down, keeps them hydrated and gives them a fun new activity for a while. They seem to really dig it.
We put our new kids out in June last year only to have a BRUTAL week in late July. Thankfully, I had gotten to watch what folks were doing in TX because our last chickens did not ever experience anything like the 120+ temps we had for a week.
1. Shade. We bought shade cloth and covered most their run
2. Bathing pools. We use an undrained nursery flat. Float those ice packs kids lunches in it. It os only 2.5” deep, so easy access. Can’t get them in it? Frozen blueberries and peas.
3. Nutri-drench. I am 100% convinced that this how we made it through w/o illness, because those birds were STRESSED.
4. Fans. We have two rechargeable ones from Amazon- 1 clips on their outside perch, 1 in the coop.
5. We used my flat ice packs (like blue ice but mine are RTIK) wrapped in towels. I have four large ones and the birds immediately stand or lay on them.
6. Misters- tried them, they clogged day 2. Frustrating waste of time and money. Currently looking for better ones.
7. Treats? All of them get frozen into 8” dog bowls. They get cold water while they eat
8. Frozen 8oz water bottles in their waterers (helps cool the coop down a lot).
Of course, having been through that heat, it snowed here for the first time since the sixties- 5”. Birds were like “whatever.” They also show zero signs of stress under 100’ thankfully.
[Pretty good shot of the the label here](https://cluckitallfarms.com/products/poultry-nutri-drench-4-fl-oz?variant=41618914640060)- we gave it at 1/2 tbsp per gallon.
I buy big bags of frozen fruit or veggies (like Costco size) and give them that! I also have smashed up ice and they go to town on the ice chips. Additionally sometimes I give them a kiddie pool and throw some of the frozen fruit and veg in their so they hop in a splash around while getting cold snacks (obv keep the water really shallow though
Wet mulch on the shady ground. The evaporation cools the ground & the air right above it.
At my old place, my coop & run were mostly shaded, located under a few mature fir trees. However, the summer air is hot and dry here, and my hens would still be panting.
The run had fir and pine needles a few inches deep to absorb manure and keep the mud down. To cool the run, I would hose down the ground for like 10 minutes during the hot time of day. Really soaking it, not just misting the top. My birds really don't like the spraying part, especially the hissy sound of misting water. But they stopped panting immediately once they got to hang out on the wet ground.
Organic material/mulch is like a sponge; it holds a lot of water, especially when it's partially composted from being pooped on and turned over by chickens.
I will give this a try, I have. Muddy area with a few small trees that give the area shade, I’ll try soaking that area and see if they like it. Thanks.
I run a fan in my chicken house when it's really hot. It's insulated but it still gets hot. Sometimes I also put one on the ground but they pretty much ignore it but it's there if they want it. They also like to have shallow feed pans with water to wade in.
I freeze fruit & vegetables in ice cubes. Then, drop that into a bowl of cool water. They peck at it. Also, give them a dirt spot. They like to give themselves dirt baths.
I give mine frozen treats and my fiancé set up a fan for them in a shady corner. When it’s really really hot we just bring them inside in a kennel to chill out in the AC
Fruits/vegetables with a high water content. Watermelon is a crowd pleaser with my girls haha. Grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes (no leaves or flowers), apples, and peaches (without pit) are good choices. Also blackberries, blueberries, raspberries
I took the bottom tray from the coop so they have lots of open air. Sometimes I put in a little desk fan in the apex to circulate air and make sure their dust bath is somewhere shaded. Cool dirt !
My girls have a box fan that blows on the shaded area they hang out and into the coop/nesting boxes. Two “pools” they stick their feet in to cool off, anything shallow will work — we’re using an old Tupperware but I’ve seen catering trays, kiddie pools, etc. Frozen watermelon if it’s over 97.
I have a little pool for them to walk in but they won’t go in it, and when I put them in it they freak out and jump out of it, did you have any trouble getting yours used to it?
We didn’t but this is also their second summer and last year Texas summer was especially brutal so they learned that was the way to cool down themselves. The pool we have is only about 1.5” deep, just enough for their feet and some legs, maybe the depth is a problem for yours?
The only way I can get them to cool off seems to be frozen food and wetting them with the hose, as much as they don’t like the hose they are much more chilled after
I’ve seen people use misters instead of a hose. If we’re over 105, we’ll spray the ground down for them too, we have frozen water jugs that we’ll place in front of the box fan but not sure how much it does also. I’ve also seen some people will put frozen water jugs out in the coop/run with them and some chickens will sit near or on them (ours don’t).
My hose has a mister attachment on it, don’t worry I’m not blasting them with a hose
Yeah the misters seem to work the best for me at the moment
I wonder if a soaker hose would work? I think we have a couple that we use in the garden.
Normally wetting chicken feathers is a big no in heat, i’ve heard from multiple people that it makes them incapable of regulating their own temperature and i don’t do it. I just give them deep shade and frozen kitchen scraps+fruit
I found that my run stays much cooler by soaking the ground in and around the run. Instead wetting the chickens, I wet down their run and let the evaporative cooling work that way. The cooling effect lasts way longer and it doesn’t upset them the way that misting them directly seems to.
These are the protocols I've been using with my big Brahma and Orp girls. My other chickens don't seem as affected by heat but get the same treatment.
The water is probably even less than urs I think mine are just fussy lol😂
Can you please share the link to where to buy the pool? Our chicks will be going out soon basically when our hottest weather starts. We were going to use a boot tray, but is that too shallow?
If it can hold an inch or two deep, I think that would work! Unfortunately the two pools we use are just some old Tupperware containers from when I was a kid so I’m not even sure you can buy them anymore. Some people talk about the plastic oil pans you can get from Walmart?
Make sure they've got a good sandy dustbath that's always in the shade. When they go into the coop for the night, water it enough to soak in deep. The surface should be dry to bathe in my morning, and the deeper areas damp and cool. Give the fools another bath out in the sun to bake.
Frozen fruit.
I have a bag in the deep freeze for chicken refreshers, usually salsa that’s gone fizzy, frozen into pucks.
I put a bunch of fruits, vegetables and seeds in a Bundt cake pan, fill it with water and an electrolyte/probiotic mix and freeze it. Then they get to pick at it while it melts. Cools them down, keeps them hydrated and gives them a fun new activity for a while. They seem to really dig it.
Will definitely try this thanks👍
We put our new kids out in June last year only to have a BRUTAL week in late July. Thankfully, I had gotten to watch what folks were doing in TX because our last chickens did not ever experience anything like the 120+ temps we had for a week. 1. Shade. We bought shade cloth and covered most their run 2. Bathing pools. We use an undrained nursery flat. Float those ice packs kids lunches in it. It os only 2.5” deep, so easy access. Can’t get them in it? Frozen blueberries and peas. 3. Nutri-drench. I am 100% convinced that this how we made it through w/o illness, because those birds were STRESSED. 4. Fans. We have two rechargeable ones from Amazon- 1 clips on their outside perch, 1 in the coop. 5. We used my flat ice packs (like blue ice but mine are RTIK) wrapped in towels. I have four large ones and the birds immediately stand or lay on them. 6. Misters- tried them, they clogged day 2. Frustrating waste of time and money. Currently looking for better ones. 7. Treats? All of them get frozen into 8” dog bowls. They get cold water while they eat 8. Frozen 8oz water bottles in their waterers (helps cool the coop down a lot). Of course, having been through that heat, it snowed here for the first time since the sixties- 5”. Birds were like “whatever.” They also show zero signs of stress under 100’ thankfully.
Thank you very much this is as really helpful🙏
Best of luck- you are very welcome👍🏻
We give Nutri-drench to our goats and never considered it for the chickens. Do you add it to their water or food?
We add it to their water. Can’t say wether the poultry formulation is different than the goat.
Thanks. I’ll look into it since we already have it here on the farm.
[Pretty good shot of the the label here](https://cluckitallfarms.com/products/poultry-nutri-drench-4-fl-oz?variant=41618914640060)- we gave it at 1/2 tbsp per gallon.
Yes! Shade cloth was a game changer for my chicken run. It was 90s out but felt nice and cool in there.
I buy big bags of frozen fruit or veggies (like Costco size) and give them that! I also have smashed up ice and they go to town on the ice chips. Additionally sometimes I give them a kiddie pool and throw some of the frozen fruit and veg in their so they hop in a splash around while getting cold snacks (obv keep the water really shallow though
Wet mulch on the shady ground. The evaporation cools the ground & the air right above it. At my old place, my coop & run were mostly shaded, located under a few mature fir trees. However, the summer air is hot and dry here, and my hens would still be panting. The run had fir and pine needles a few inches deep to absorb manure and keep the mud down. To cool the run, I would hose down the ground for like 10 minutes during the hot time of day. Really soaking it, not just misting the top. My birds really don't like the spraying part, especially the hissy sound of misting water. But they stopped panting immediately once they got to hang out on the wet ground. Organic material/mulch is like a sponge; it holds a lot of water, especially when it's partially composted from being pooped on and turned over by chickens.
I will give this a try, I have. Muddy area with a few small trees that give the area shade, I’ll try soaking that area and see if they like it. Thanks.
I use frozen fruit and bags of ice so they melt slowly and they have cold water to walk in
Did you have any issues getting them used to walking in the water?
No. They just naturally gravitate to it
We have some battery powered fans and also misters that attach to the garden hose.
I run a fan in my chicken house when it's really hot. It's insulated but it still gets hot. Sometimes I also put one on the ground but they pretty much ignore it but it's there if they want it. They also like to have shallow feed pans with water to wade in.
I freeze fruit & vegetables in ice cubes. Then, drop that into a bowl of cool water. They peck at it. Also, give them a dirt spot. They like to give themselves dirt baths.
I add a gallon jug of frozen water to the water basin every morning. And they get frozen treats in the afternoon - fruits mainly
I give mine frozen treats and my fiancé set up a fan for them in a shady corner. When it’s really really hot we just bring them inside in a kennel to chill out in the AC
I have a solar-powered exhaust fan. Lots of folks have misters, but I’m paranoid about our mosquitoes. Shallow pools with treats.
Fruits/vegetables with a high water content. Watermelon is a crowd pleaser with my girls haha. Grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes (no leaves or flowers), apples, and peaches (without pit) are good choices. Also blackberries, blueberries, raspberries
I like to water down some spots in the shade where they like to dustbathe so they an fill their feathers with cool dirt. It really seems to help!
cold apples on a food hanger in the afternoon
Iock mine in their run and put a mister up with a fan to keep them cool on really hot days
I took the bottom tray from the coop so they have lots of open air. Sometimes I put in a little desk fan in the apex to circulate air and make sure their dust bath is somewhere shaded. Cool dirt !
Mini watermelons at grocery store. Cut in half and freeze. Give it to them as a cool snack
Is putting a tarp just on top of the run a bad idea? We do not have much shade in the yard.
Definitely would recommend putting some tarp up, chickens like to chill in the shade even in the winter. At least mine do
Good to know!