How do you deal with the heat for the ladies..?

[PoppasGrill]

We are in Central Florida and the temps have been up into the 90’s with heat index of over 100*.
The girls , in the past few years, have always found shade spots on the side of coops, in coops, behind barn , or under the shed and we have lost a couple to the heat.
We have industrial fans set up in the barn to keep air circulating, and usually have a couple of low walled baby pools near the coops for them to dip into.
We are thinking this year of getting a misting system with a timer to run every 2 hours or so, on the shady side outside of the coop. Our only concern would be mildew since it would be pointless to mist into direct sunlight.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

We are in Central Florida and the temps have been up into the 90’s with heat index of over 100*.
The girls , in the past few years, have always found shade spots on the side of coops, in coops, behind barn , or under the shed and we have lost a couple to the heat.
We have industrial fans set up in the barn to keep air circulating, and usually have a couple of low walled baby pools near the coops for them to dip into.
We are thinking this year of getting a misting system with a timer to run every 2 hours or so, on the shady side outside of the coop. Our only concern would be mildew since it would be pointless to mist into direct sunlight.

With your humidity a misting system is only going to make things worse (I live in Texas and speak from experience, lol) Just keep doing what you're doing, maybe some electrolytes a couple times a week in extreme heat.

 

[azygous]

Heat sickness is a very big risk factor when the temps get up over eighty. If it's humid, it's an even bigger problem, but the fans will help. Misters, as @Auntiejessi3 pointed out, are of dubious value in a humid climate.

Chickens are very good at finding damp, cool spots to dig holes in for themselves when it's hot. They will lie in these damp places and that will allow the excess body heat to transfer to the cooler dirt (basic physics). Try making sure they have access to such damp soil to dirt bathe in.

It sad to lose chickens to the heat. It demands keeping close watch on the chickens to pick up the early warning signs of heat exposure so they can be treated before it's too late. Watch for a chicken unsteady on their feet, wobbly, stumbling, falling down. Remove that chicken immediately to a cooler place and give electrolytes immediately. Gatoraid with the sugar in it is something I always keep on hand in summer. Give it undiluted to the sick chicken. The recovery will be both immediate and dramatic.

 

[azygous]

Another tip for cooling chickens on very hot days is to empty out your freezer of ice cubes, put them in a large feeding pan, and the chickens will delight in scratching and playing in them and drinking the ice melt.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Shade, Dirt baths, cold water/pool.

Only ever lost one bird to heat a few years back, that was when I didn't have a pool in their yard.

 

[Mrs. K]

Shade is important, but it moves around during the day, check at different time period during the day to make sure it is available.

I have a sandy soil in my run, dumping water on that in a shady spot helps.

But shade and water available is important.

Mrs K

 

[PoppasGrill]

With your humidity a misting system is only going to make things worse (I live in Texas and speak from experience, lol) Just keep doing what you're doing, maybe some electrolytes a couple times a week in extreme heat.

Was thinking of the misting outside the coop, so as not to make a sauna, although, you are right, light rain on a hot day only makes it worse.
We do use an additive to the water for electrolytes and vitamins.