Redneck AC for chickens!!!

[jBabychickn]

Saw a good design where a small fan was mounted on the cooler hole and another 4-6" pvc pipe was also mounted to a hole for an exhaust.

Exhaust is SO important! - I think a lot of ppl may forget about needing an exhaust to funnel that hot air “out” of the coop… Once I caught onto that, the air in our coop was much more comfortable.

We have a barn fan that only does Exhaust, then I have another for circulation at the roosts as well as a small battery fan to clip just at their nesting boxes… I feel for them working so hard in the nests; they deserve a bit of air in them, IMO. Plus, my birds are obsessed with the fans. They love them! LOL!

 

[mossyoakpro]

If you think zero humidity is brutal, wait until you experience maximum humidity in 100+ weather. Humidity makes both heat and cold far worse

t. Florida

For real....the humidity feels like a hot wet blanket when you go outside.

 

[jBabychickn]

For real....the humidity feels like a hot wet blanket when you go outside.

I just can’t do that humidity… I’m telling ya! it’s bad!
We moved from Western Kentucky (Paducah) to Eastern Kentucky (Lexington) and just that 4hr drive to the East made a huge difference.

Temperatures here overall — 8-10° less and the humidity is easily half; however, Western KY did have 3 rivers that converged right there in the town of Paducah, so ya had all that water table

 

[aart]

Exhaust is SO important! - I think a lot of ppl may forget about needing an exhaust to funnel that hot air “out” of the coop… Once I caught onto that, the air in our coop was much more comfortable.

Exhaust for the swamp cooler aka redneck AC,
not the coop, that's a whole other discussion.

 

[Tired old Rooster]

Only thing is, the windows are higher than the roosts. I would like to find a way to get it kinda more level with them. We'll take pics once we get it worked out and I go in to see how good it's working (or if not at all).

Not sure level with them is such a great idea. Better higher and let the cool air drop down. Don't want the chooks to get office workers draft.

 

[jBabychickn]

Exhaust for the swamp cooler aka redneck AC,
not the coop, that's a whole other discussion.

Ah! Sorry… Yes, I realize this now; I misread.
Thanks @aart

 

[aldarita]

I have read about this "coolers" before, I wonder how long their cooling last.
I tried frozen water gallon containers since I read some posts that said their chickens sat around them, but my sweet girls ran away from them, by the time they got used to them, the ice had melted so they were of no use. I guess once they know they are harmless, they might come close to them but it will probably take some time for that to happen.
I used to heavily complain about being 100 degrees, now I am looking at the weather apps for the 10 day forecast hoping to see the temp coming down to 100. This summer is the worst I have ever experienced, and I truly hope it will eventually end.
I started fermenting feed and put in in the fridge overnight. They eat it in the mornings and I believe this will help with the incredible stress they are experiencing.

 

[Atchurch]

I

Saw a good design where a small fan was mounted on the cooler hole and another 4-6" pvc pipe was also mounted to a hole for an exhaust.

If you think zero humidity is brutal, wait until you experience maximum humidity in 100+ weather. Humidity makes both heat and cold far worse

t. Florida

Oh yeah! It's actually not zero (I exaggerate sometimes), but it was way better than when we have super high humidity. We live it every summer. But humidity up in North Central Texas is way more tolerable than when we were living down in Brownsville, TX. I worked on S. Padre. That humidity was crazy. Walk from your front door to your Jeep and already need another shower. Lol. My husband came from Arizona. He thought every place in Texas was like down there. I told him that DFW and north of there is like a whole 'nother state from "El Valle".

 

[Atchurch]

So, my hubs just reminded me that we have a styrofoam cooler out there that we can cut up and just test out how cool, and for how long it will work. So there's my Sunday experiment! Then I can guage it to an extent and then go to work on that old, hard side cooler if this pans out.

 

[Atchurch]

I have read about this "coolers" before, I wonder how long their cooling last.
I tried frozen water gallon containers since I read some posts that said their chickens sat around them, but my sweet girls ran away from them, by the time they got used to them, the ice had melted so they were of no use. I guess once they know they are harmless, they might come close to them but it will probably take some time for that to happen.
I used to heavily complain about being 100 degrees, now I am looking at the weather apps for the 10 day forecast hoping to see the temp coming down to 100. This summer is the worst I have ever experienced, and I truly hope it will eventually end.
I started fermenting feed and put in in the fridge overnight. They eat it in the mornings and I believe this will help with the incredible stress they are experiencing.

We give them frozen fruits and stuff. Also they love a cool melon, chopped up and mixed with some greek yogurt...the we add spent coffee grounds. They love it! Pro-Bs, coolness and coffee grounds help their laying.