It is summer here in NH (finally) it hit over 90 today (I know not that hot) My turkeys don't appear to want to get out of the sun and are panting and so are the larger birds, guineas, marans the sebrights and silkies appear to be fine.
I was wonder if I put a couple of fans to suck the hot air out or in or one of each to cool them off. Can a fan blow on chickens? I know with parrots it can kill them (thats why I thought suck the air out)
What do you do?
Thanks!
How do I keep everyone cool?
Hi lora, We too have had very high temps! all my pens and coops are under big leafy trees! This helps so much in the summer to shade the area. Then in the afternoons I like to spray water up into the trees to bring the temp down a couple of more degrees! There always seems to be a small breeze under the trees, and the chicks appreciate it!
Ive never run a fan on the chickens but I know some of the bigger egg production farms have huge exhaust fans in the coops! So I would guess , instead of blowing hot air in , you would blow the hot air out!
Thanks I think I will. I built the chicken house on the south side since our winters are SOOOOO long and I thought the sunlight would help keep them warm during those cold winter days. They are partial shaded by a huge pine tree.
Thanks again!
I've read posts on other forums of ppl using an automatic misting system to keep their poultry pen cooler......
I tried it with the mist setting on the hose but only the ducks appreciated it....lol
I've also read of ppl using the fans like you described.
~Julie
It ges REAL hot here, 110 yesterday, and I use fans in all of my coops. I have 3 hen houses and about 75 hens. I keep fans blowing on them 24/7 and they love it. I also wet down the floor of the hen houses each day as well as the areas where they "bathe". had real good luck so far.
Thanks I hung a fan in the door way, high up to circulate the air and just got back from buying another waterer, this time a five gallon galvanized (I will need a couple for the winter anyways to put on the water heaters, all mine are plastic) When I go to Littleton this weekend I will pick up a couple more fans for them.
I have 3 of the gallon waterers with the red bottom, a smaller sized metal washtub shaped container, a flat metal dish and a big rubbermaid tub the ducks play in for water right now. I've put off thinking about winter time water needs, but I know I will have to change things...lol.
Julie
CHICKEN HATCHING SOON!!!
Check out this link, they have a thread going with some good ideas.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5944
Julie
The girls pant to keep cool, as they do not sweat. So, panting is a good thing in hot weather. As long as they have shade and access to lots of water they will be okay, Lora :) I know, I LOVED having a few hot days up here in NH. biggered, what is always the kicker for us is that we get so wild variation in temperatures. 90s one day, 50s the next!
aone thing I know for sure is that in Arizona, this time of year, you better keep them cool or they will be DEAD Girls. Last year I came home in the afternoon to fine 9 dead ones right by the drinker.
Usually July in Texas means 110+; we have always used a misting sytem on our turkeys along side a large fan to circulate air and I haven't lost one yet due to heat. Best of luck.
Hi all-
New to the board. I have a fan on a thermostat that cuts on when the temperature rises above 80F in the coop. The fan is up high at the rear of the coop, and I have windows on two sides. The fan does an amazing job of cooling off the coop. We also have large live oaks near the coop that shade during part of the day. We haven't lost a bird due to heat, and it gets pretty ugly down here (I'm midway between Charleston, SC & Savannah, GA).
I've attached a picture of one of my guineas on morning slug patrol.
Jenny
Sure sounds like shade and a ceiling fan are terrific way to cool the birds. I've got adequate shade for them but the henhouse is warmer than I'd like since we had 99 degrees yesterday. I'll look at ceiling fans today. This requires an extension cord from the shop to the henhouse but chances are we'd only need the fan functional for 30 days in the summer. I think a window fan would be a better idea for non-permanent functionality. A window fan can be working in a few minutes and easily replaced w/ a fitted screen for spring and fall and in the winter ...... replaced w/ a double thick sheet of styrofoam board (covered with plastic tape) will preventing heat loss.
Guineas are one of the least likely of poultry types to need relief from high temperatures. They are native to the South African plains where daytime temps in the summer often reach 120 degrees. There are a few breeds of chicken that are significantly better adapted to extreme summer heat than Cochins and Silkies & and most large fowl egg layers.