Official BYC Poll: How Do You Keep Your Chickens Cool In Summer?

[Florida Bullfrog]

My heat toleration plan is complicated... I stand on my porch and watch the chickens go find shade and water on their own.

 

[BoogieWight]

My heat toleration plan is complicated... I stand on my porch and watch the chickens go find shade and water on their own.

Only a handful of mine will make the long trip to the little creek for water. I would love to have a place in Florida with a pond and stream. Just the ability to grow tropical plants alone would be great. The jealousy is strong with this one.

 

[turkey girl 0964]

Our chickens are free range so they find the spots where the water has spilled out of the pigs water trough or lay in the shade. When they are not free ranging I water their coop down, add ice to their water, give them frozen treats, and sometimes I put a fan in there. Their coop is very well ventilated.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Coop has fans but also is insulated so it stays cooler than the sheds with no insulation.

Plenty of fresh water in the coop because I noticed if water is outside it gets nasty from getting dirt kicked in and/or just turns green & slimy from being out. The waterers elevated on 6 inch landscape block stay clean and slime free inside.

Their runs always have a bit of sun, and a lot of shade & shelter no matter what the season.

Their dust bath areas are in shade. 1 dust bath area is dug very deep and they love that one when it's hot.

I have offered occasional frozen peas or corn at times, hang a cabbage head from the refrigerator, blueberries or strawberries from the fridge at times, they enjoy very much.

We just had 6 weeks of no rain & a very hot July like weather weekend in May, so most grass on my 2 acres is "crunchy when you walk" dead, only 2 small areas in the chicken pens still have grass! The greens I had growing up through wire for them to peck at has died, too. That's a negative abt hot weather, but it is what it is, gotta deal with it. As long as my flock is happy, we're OK

 

[BlueBantam Farms]

I let my flock free range during the summer, and they go into the forest under the shade and forage.

 

[3KillerBs]

I chose mainly heat-tolerant breeds.

I give them constant access to fresh water, weekly electrolytes (along with, not instead of plain water), access to dirt where they can dig down to a cooler layer, as much shade as I can provide, and have lots and lots of ventilation in the coops:

The Little Monitor Coop

The temporary mini-coop,

The outdoor brooder,

And the new, open air build:

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Only a handful of mine will make the long trip to the little creek for water. I would love to have a place in Florida with a pond and stream. Just the ability to grow tropical plants alone would be great. The jealousy is strong with this one.

Farming on the Florida peninsula is complicated. Its a paradise for livestock, especially chickens. But the same climate that makes it good for chickens makes in poor for traditional American and European crops. The summers are too hot for temperate crops and the winters are too cold for tropical crops, unless you're in far south Florida in which the climate is more stable and tropical crops can be grown year round. The soil is generally poor.

There was a wide array of Florida adapted crops that have been lost to history. My grandparents’ generation were the last that had to live off the land by necessity and when modern conveniences came they didn't see the need to continue to preserve traditional crops and livestock.

 

[Snooky doodle]

Plenty of air,shade and water! My guineas love to be sprayed lightly with the garden hose! When it gets real hot I'll run a fan for them at night. If I keep the barn closed during the day it stays pretty cool in there for a long time.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Trays with ice and frozen veggies around the run always do the trick for mine. If it gets in the upper 90s I will sometimes mist them with the hose (pro tip - hide so that they can't see you doing it or they'll hold a grudge. Extra pro-tip - you hide, but do it when they can see someone else and they'll take it out on them). I also free range all day in the heat, they're better at knowing what they need than I am.

I am always WAY more concerned about my rabbitry in the heat than my chickens. They're tough girlies.

 

[LizzzyJo]

My heat toleration plan is complicated... I stand on my porch and watch the chickens go find shade and water on their own.

Amen