It's no secret that we have recently been stuck in a huge heat wave in the US. Most of the country has been suffering the past few weeks with crazy heat and humidity. When the temperature rises it is uncomfortable for us humans, but it's even worse for our feathered friends. I always provide plenty of fresh, cool drinking water for my chickens, but in addition to that, I've found the quickest and easiest way to give them some relief from the heat is to create shallow puddles for them to splash around in and get their feet wet.
I know lots of chicken owners like to buy kiddie pools for their girls and boys to cool their feet in, but my flock won't go near them! (FYI - If you do have a pool for your chickens, just make sure it's only a few inches deep - you don't want them getting their feathers soaked because that interferes with how they regulate their body temperature and is actually very bad for them.) Instead of a plastic pool, my flock prefers smaller puddles or streams of water, so I like to pull the hose out and just let it run for a while.
They love to just stand in the water and get several drinks to help them cool off. If I see any of them looking particularly hot (lethargic, pale comb/wattles, dull appearance, panting) I will pick them up and place their feet in cool water and they seem to bounce right back. Placing a cold compress on their combs and wattles can help cool them down quickly as well.
What is your favorite way to help your chickens stay cool?
~Tammy
Shared with From The Farm Blog Hop
Now that is a great idea. I love the way you take care of all your animals. I am sure it fun to watch them enjoying the cool break..Great idea. Have a great weekend. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see the ladies are staying cool!
ReplyDeleteWe are seeing a cool down right now, it has been nice!
Oh Tammy you are such a caring person. Hope your heat retreats. B
ReplyDeleteObviously your chickens are well loved and cared for.
ReplyDeleteWe have so much shade and shallow water pans around the coops, our free rangers seem to tolerate the heat fairly well.
ReplyDeleteWatermelon! They go nuts for watermelon. We also have fans in the coop, and in daytime . :)they have the run of our lower barn, which is always damp and relatively cool
ReplyDeleteoh that is so sweet!!
ReplyDeleteSame with mine. I would flood planters as needed and they would come running. I also kept a shallow old pan they would stand in. It was their favorite waterer. You should come and link up to the FTF hop. You are the perfect blogger for that hop. You have so many good ideas. http://sunnysimplelife.blogspot.com/2013/07/from-farm-blog-hop_26.html
ReplyDeleteoh, that is so cute!
ReplyDeleteI bet your girls love you for all your caring ways...I hope the heat wave ends soon for you. Happy weekend!!
ReplyDeleteMy girl Zesty just died, so my brain isn't working like usual. I just dunk Sweetiepie and Jeannie in the pool and let them run around the yard to cool off. (Don't worry, I don't soak them, just a quick dunk and they're fine.)
ReplyDeleteI love how you take care of your girls. They need to cool off too and I love that you recognize that! Good Mama!
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't like to splash in puddles on a hot summer day? Thanks for interesting info and cute photos.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of large, shallow feed pans for the chickens and they do love to stand in them when it's hot! :)
ReplyDeleteYou are such a good "mom" to your chickens! Love the great idea's that you share :) Hope you are having a great time out of town.
ReplyDeleteOur weather has been all over the place. It was 100 and then last night it was in the 60's. I'm ready for fall :)
ReplyDeleteWatermelon! I wait until the hottest part of the day & bring them a slice of very cold watermelon. They love it & I know they're getting something cold & wet. They have water bowls we fill fresh every day, but I like your idea alot.
ReplyDeleteI do a similar thing on days that it doesn't have a monsoon rain...I spray water on the floor of their run where they like to dust bathe. The sand holds the moisture better than dirt and they already love digging there.
ReplyDeleteGood tips, Tammy!
ReplyDeleteThey look so well taken care of!
ReplyDeleteYou have Lightened my Heart Tammy great stuff! I have also been running the Hose into the pond , top of my garden.
ReplyDeleteTammy, you take great care with your chickens. Glad they have a way to cool during the heave wave. Great post, have a happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful idea! Thank you for the tip.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to tell you that to cool everyone down I have started to add a pop bottle of frozen water with the cap on to their bucket of drinking water. I have two ready to go - one to put in the water bucket while a second one is freezing. Truthfully, it hasn't been hot very often this year so I haven't had a chance to do get into a habit yet, but everything is ready for a heat wave.
ReplyDeleteI have a little kiddie pool that I put a couple inches of water in for them on super hot days. They don't really use it so in addition I wet down their play yard and give them a few puddles to stand in . They definitely prefer the puddles to the pool and I give them watermelon to snack on too.
ReplyDeleteHope your having a great weekend!
Too cute! Love the pics!
ReplyDeleteHow sweet you are to think of them in the heat. You do have some pampered chickens - they looks so happy! xo
ReplyDeleteHow fun! I love the way you take care of all your animals!
ReplyDeleteTammy, it's been hot in Eastern WA too, so we've escaped to the beach for a few days. I'm glad your sweet girls have a way to keep cool too! Wonderful photos!!
ReplyDeleteJust like my boys like to splash in puddles, your chickens do, too. How cute.
ReplyDeleteVery sweet! Ours are the same - no pools for them! They enjoy frozen lettuce, water collected in watermelon rind {they get the juice AND the water - double pleasure}, and dust baths with sand, dirt & ash. :)
ReplyDeleteYour chickens are the luckiest chickens around!! Water - helps the grass, lawn, bugs and chickens. My girlfriend will freeze their watermelon rinds and give give it to them in the hot afternoon!! Daisy starts flapping her wings and jumping up and down when she sees Chris walking out with watermelon rinds!
ReplyDeleteHot here too and I do the same for mine....:) Love your chickens....they are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteI use a cheap mister ($8.00) from home depot off to the side of their run. They stand near it! Since it's so dry here it drops the temp about 10 degrees. I also feed them ice chips, cools snacks like cukes, etc. I put a couple of planter trays out with water, but they won't stand in them. I sprinkle down their shade area atleast once a day, so it's cool. Lots of fresh water to drink too! Post here- http://littlehomesteadinboise.blogspot.com/2013/06/keeping-chickens-cool-thrifting-finds.html
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I do the same with shallow water tubs. Ours stand in them - I think they learned that from the ducks tho honestly! And thanks for reinforcing the warning that dunking your chickens whole body in a bucket of water actually is a terrible idea.
ReplyDeleteLisa
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