Keep Your Backyard Chickens Cool in the Summer
It's July here in central Ohio and it's HOT. Like, above average, hot. Unlike us, however, chickens must stay outside and deal with the heat and humidity. If you've chosen to keep backyard chickens or are considering getting chickens, here are some things to consider (or to remind you) to help your backyard chickens beat the heat:
WATER, WATER, WATER. My understanding is that chickens will die quicker from no water than anything else. Make sure - please - that your flock has plenty (PLENTY) of fresh water available to them. EVERY. DAY. I usually have two different pails full of water and one often (not always) has electrolytes in it (made specifically for poultry).
SHADE. Make sure your flock has access to shade. In one part of our chicken compound (coop + hanging out areas), I hung a shade cloth where the mid-morning sun shines in, just to spare them a teensy less heat. You can also use landscaping for this, making sure there are bushes or trees around your coop that provide a respite from the sun. We definitely have that as well.
SAND OR DIRT BATH SPOTS. So, this actually has a dual purpose. Believe it or not, chickens take dirt baths to remove mites and other unwanted pests from their bodies. Dirt or sand (we use sand), in a shaded area, may also provide a bit of heat relief. As you can see, I put ours in a kiddie pool! I did this for two reasons: 1) this area has mildly flooded before, which would ruin all the sand and 2) the sand becomes part of the ground and eventually isn't there. The pool keeps it dry, contained and there. I scoop it out regularly also, to remove all the chicken crap!
And, I do need to add: ice cubes with corn is nifty and all the rage on social media.....but in 95 degree heat, why would you bother? It's going to do nothing for the chickens (duh...it's gonna melt fast), unless you're just looking for engagement on your channel, then have at it. I did read about frozen watermelon, which seems like a neat idea and perhaps the size would keep it colder longer. Lots of fresh water is always still your best, daily bet.
I also saw several folks that put their chickens in trays of water to keep them cool because "they absorb heat through their feet". I've not read this anywhere and did try this myself... and look: chickens aren't ducks and they might stay in the water long enough for you to snap a picture, but that's about it. If I try this again and my chickens actually go on their own to stand in the tray of water....I'll rewrite this whole post. I've also seen folks mention water misters.... my chickens are not fans of water, sooooooo.....again, best stick with items 1-3 above as your first line of defense.
One last note: before deciding on which chicken breed to get, make sure what their hot/cold tolerance level is. I don't recall actually seeing a "heat" tolerance listed, but definitely they have "cold hardy" listed. It's always though, a good idea to thoroughly understand the breed that you're interested in.
Stay cool!
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