Questions re: chickens in this heat

[Jan Carlson]

This is my first summer with my 5 beautiful hens. So far so good, but I'd like some help deciding what to do for keeping them as cool as possible. I've read many things, and I don't know what to believe since some of it conflicts. I know this forum is very helpful, so I will appreciate all the assistance.

 

First, I just read that in this heat the chickens should only be fed in the morning. Is this true? Because my hens eat throughout the day. During the heat, we take out cool watermelon, canteloupe, tomatoes, apples - things like that. We also put ice in their water. And we give them veggie leaves - lettuce, radish, carrots, beet tops - throughout the day, too. Morning and evening, in addition to on demand feed, we also give them some BOSS.

 

They are backyard free ranged birds. They don't stay in their coop after 5 a.m. except to eat and lay eggs. BTW, it's pretty hot in the coop when they are trying to lay. Should I set up a laying box out of the coop but in the enclosed run (which is open all day for them to go in and out)?

 

Second, my girls don't seem to like misters. We have a mister on our patio and they always skirt around it when it's on. Also, I can't get them to stand in water trays, either. At least not for long. I have started letting the hose run around my pear tree to entice them over there and they are going, sometimes.

 

Their favorte place to go is under our garden beds. One in particular. Today I put a temperature gauge under there to see what the temp was like, and it was a bit over 90 degrees at 2:30 this afternoon. Stayed in the 80's all morning. BUT, it is a garden bed, so it is usually moist underneath. Should I worry about that?

We have water throughout the yard and shade throughout the yard. Also, since they like the underneath of that one bed the most, we have put a bowl of crumbles and a bowl of water slightly under it so they have access. To the side of that bed (under shade) is 2 trays of water - 1 is 2 inches deep, one is about 3 inches deep) that they can use to stand in if they want. Which they don't usually.

 

4 of my hens are gold sex links, one is a rhode island red. Two of the golds are panting more than the rest. All are laying. We get 4-5 eggs every day.

 

We also spray down their coop before bedtime. But, we're wondering. Can or should we encourage them to use their roost that is in the run, instead of in the coop itself? If so, how would we go about it? Just move them onto the outside roost as they go into the coop?

 

Okay, that's a good bunch of questions, I know. But I'm hoping you all can help us. We just adore our girls and don't want any harm to come to them! Many thanks for your help.

[Jeffrey L Dyer]

I fill 2 liter bottles full of water and put them in the deep freeze.  Once the temp goes over 100, I put those bottles in the places where the chickens hide from the sun.  They snuggle up next to the bottles to keep cool.  I also put them in the nest boxes and have a fan blowing on the nest boxes.

Remember...ventilation, shade and water.

I wrote an article about the heat that might be helpful:  http://chickenscratchranch.com/?p=2861

[Jan Carlson]

Excellent idea. I'll get some of those going, too. I think I'll need a bigger freezer just for all the bottles they'll need. :)

 

[Rachel]

Sounds like you're doing great, and they have lots of choices. Animals are usually pretty good about finding the most ideal microclimates. One other thing you can do is to take a frozen water bottle (lid off) and put it in an empty pot saucer. They can drink the cool water as it melts and will probably get in the habit of hanging out next to it. Any water that they don't drink will fill the pot saucer. This is a way to ease birds into standing into the water filled saucers if they aren't interested at first. It usually only takes one bird to learn something and the rest will follow.

I do think it's better to feed the birds the fruit, veggies etc in the morning. The birds do eat feed all day (assuming they have access to it), but you'll notice that they eat most of their food in the morning this time of year. As the day heats up, it seems to be better for them to do less exertion (even something like digestion) to keep themselves a little cooler internally.

[Jan Carlson]

Thanks so much everyone for your replies. I have read, with sadness, the chickens that have died recently. That's the biggest reason I wanted to make sure I was doing all I could.

 

I will definitely put the frozen water bottle in a saucer for them, starting today. Also, I will put a fan out to point into the coop. We don't have a dog kennel, but we will go ahead and make them a laying box in the run (it is fully enclosed and shaded). Just in case they want it. :)

 

Thanks again all!

 

 

[Catherine, The Herb Lady]

Hi Jan,

 

If you have perches in the outside run under some kind of a canopy/cover/roof (with open sides for air circulation) they may choose to perch there. Left to their own devices Chickens would roost in trees or shrubs.  You can use a dog kennel for a nest box with straw out in the run - assuming the run is fully fenced for protection.

 

Check out the postings on dead or dying chickens for more thoughts on the heat (sorry I know you are already worried about that but the info is helpful.  They should have a wading pool where they can stand in about 3 inches of water at when they want.  If the coop is not shaded it will be very hot in there.  Hope this helps.

[Jeanette]

Mine also don't like the mister. I have 4 in a coop while I am at work. They get an hour or so yard time in the morning and then maybe 2 early evening, longer mornings on the weekends. (We have to keep the dogs in when they are out.) They like being under the gazebo or in the rose garden. Sometimes they will stand on a tray of ice. Last summer they were only a few months old when I moved them to the coop and they will stand in a plastic tray of ice. I have one who stopped laying in March. Her crop is looking pink rather than red. She still runs around, broody isn't the word for it. She gets in the nesting boxes with the other girls, lays on the eggs until we remove them. She's not bound up, still eats. No eggs. I'm thinking if I can get them through the summer we're good. I will probably bring a big fan to set up next to their coop. I did that in later afternoon hours last summer as well. I have vines planted around and they always have some shade in the coop, only direct sun cutting across the coop for about an hour or so during early afternoon. I am probably going to put a portable pool type umbrella out there. Mine have lost some weight, which I believe is normal. They eat the layena and precompost vegetable stuff for me, lots of water.

[Sheri Schmeckpeper]

It sounds like you're doing OK. This time of year they all pant a lot, and they'll hang out in the coolest place they can find. Ours spend their day under a boat where it's shady and there's a bit of air that blows through most of the time. They're free range, and when they're hungry they run from one shady spot to another. I tried the wading pool, too, but our chickens don't want anything to do with it so far.

For the most part, I trust their judgement. But chicken logic is strange. Yesterday I checked on them and one nesting box (12x12x9) was empty, the other had three chickens in it. Go figure!  Just make certain they have lots of shade, lots of water to drink, and cool (relatively) ground. One of the first things they'll do if they're stressed is stop laying.