Low Cost And No Cost Ways To Keep Your Flock Cool
Summer is an amazing time of year. The garden is thriving and wild life is flourishing. Rising temperatures can pose a danger to your backyard flock however if they don’t have what they need to stay cool. Heat poses more danger to your chickens than cooler temperatures because it can be very difficult for your chickens to regulate their body heat in dangerously high periods of hot weather. Certain breeds of backyard chicken are more subject to heat distress than others. Chickens cools their body using the exposed, non-feathered parts of their body which include their feet, combs, and waddles. These tips work for our regional weather norms. If your area is prone to extreme bouts of heatwaves that last several weeks or more you will need to do additional research for additional tips for your specific area. It is always a good idea as a backyard chicken owner and homesteader to be weather aware. Know when you’re expecting extreme weather in your area so you can take measures ahead of time for your family and your flock.
Know the signs of heat stress in your birds! Chickens that are too hot have gaping mouths, pant, and hold their wings away from their bodies. If you see your chicken making an expression that looks like this < , they’re uncomfortable or stressed. Some discomfort during extreme heat is normal, however, I personally take measures to ensure my flock is as comfortable as possible for their overall health and productivity. I personally would also intervene and help cool down any members of my flock that I deemed to be in extreme distress including things like lethargic behavior. In an emergency, you can bring your chicken inside and bath them in the sink to cool them down but this is only needed in life-or-death situations not as a reaction to seasonal discomfort.
Here are some simple low cost and no cost ways that we keep our flock comfortable in the summer heat.
Create multiple water stations and ensure they are in the shade. Hydration during the summer heat is important for you and your flock. Chickens will avoid some of the hottest parts of the areas they have access to in an attempt to keep themselves cool. Make sure your flock has plenty of cool, clean water available. Place multiple stations around their area so less dominant members of your flock can drink freely. Make sure your water offerings are in the shade for the most part and not in direct sun or your flock is unlikely to use them. Keep your water dispensers or containers free from mold or algae.
Create shade for your chickens. Emergency shade can be made for your flock with something as simple as an old tarp or bedsheet. This won’t stand up to weather but it gives your flock options to escape from direct sunlight. Secure two corners to something like a fence and secure the other two corners with tent stakes or sticks. The more options your flock has to escape the heat, the better.
If possible, install hardware cloth panels to allow for more circulation. If possible or practical you can modify your chicken structures with hardware cloth panels in increase air flow during the hottest months of the year.
Purchase chicken hydration packets. These are relatively inexpensive and can be given to your flock in addition to your regular, fresh water that you provide for them. Note hydration supplement water of any kind should be given to your flock in addition to just plain, fresh water, not as a substitute. Regular Gatorade (full flavor, not diet or sugar free!)-Watered down regular flavor Gatorade can be safely given to your chickens for hydration. Emphasis on the full flavor. *Diet products are dangerous for animals. * The dilution I use for chickens when needed is 6 teaspoons to one gallon of water. *Do not give your chickens any drink mix that contains caffeine, stimulants, or alcohol as these can harm or kill your flock. The safest hydration products are going to be the ones designed specifically for chickens.* I am not affiliated with Gatorade in anyway, I’m just someone who uses their product.
Purchasing ice. Large bags of ice from the gas station and grocery store are relatively inexpensive. Ice can be added to your chickens’ water dispensers to keep their waters cool and refreshing. You can also make your own ice at home ahead of time and store it in plastic bags in your freezer for later use.
You can add a reusable freezer pack to your chickens’ water. *Never use a damaged or leaking freezer pack in your chickens’ water. * The chemicals inside of freezer packs are deadly to animals and not great for humans either. Examine your freezer pack carefully for any signs of damage or leaking. It if is damaged in any way, don’t use it in your chicken water. I always enclose mine in a plastic bag if I use them for an additional safety measure.
Freeze water in empty soda bottles and other plastic forms. Once you’re finished with your plastic soda or juice bottle, clean the bottle thoroughly and remove the label and adhesive. Once it is cleaned fill the bottle 2/3 full with water. Don’t fill it entirely because water expands as it freezes. Never freeze water in glass containers because these will burst in your freezer. The frozen bottles can then be placed in your chicken’s water as well as around their coop and run area. I typically will put 3 frozen bottles in an old cooler with no lid turned on it’s side in my chicken run. My husband calls it hillbilly air conditioning. As the bottles melt cool air wafts out of the cooler and your chickens can rest near it. It may only make a slight difference but it does help! You can also just place the frozen bottles on the ground. Chickens are curious and they will eventually realize the bottles are cool and interact with them. You can also make giant ice cubes in your other plastic containers. If you’re having trouble getting your giant ice cube out of the container, place it in the sun for a few moments and the ice cube will be easier to remove.
Provide hydration treats. Your flock enjoys cool summer treats just like you do! You can add meal worms or healthy kitchen scraps to a bowl of ice for your flock to enjoy. You can half a water melon and let your flock enjoy fresh cool fruit. You can also freeze worms or pieces of fruit and vegetables in ice cubes for your flock to devour. The treat ice cubes will not only keep them hydrated but they also provide enrichment.
Use fans. This is not practical or possible for everyone, but we absolutely place a fan on our covered porch area when the temperatures are dangerously high and leave it on for all our outdoor backyard animals to enjoy. We brace the fan so it can’t be easily knocked over. We bring it in every night as it is not weather proof. If you’re able to afford and acquire a weather proof fan, even better! A fan should be placed somewhere the flock has the option to use it, not somewhere where it is inescapable.
Use sprinklers or misters. By spraying down or cooling the areas your flock frequents you can passively help keep them cool.
Create wading pools using disposable pans. Using a disposable pan place a smooth rock or stone inside it something that will not harm your chickens’ feet if they stand on it. Add ice and water to the pan. Your chickens can get cool by standing on the cool wet stone and/or by drinking the water. The pan can be cleaned and reused, but it will need to be disposed of once it is too soiled or damaged. Reviews on the wading pools within my own flock are mixed. Some of my chickens would stand on the stone, others would just drink from the pan.
I hope this provided you with some low-cost frugal options for keeping your flock cool, comfortable, and safe this summer.
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