Top Ways To Keep Your Chickens Cool In Summer

This was an informative article. I especially like the sand idea, as I wasn’t aware of how the sand helps to regulate chickens’ body temps both in the summer and winter. Could you tell me if there’s a particular kind of sand to use as I have heard many mixed messages on what to lay down on the coop floor to be safe for my chickens. Ty

JACIR - I had a southwest side of my run that brings alot of sun and heat in. I took an old FABRIC shower curtain and hung it up on that side. I pull it down in the early afternoon to create more shade! Breezes can still get through! Works like a charm!

I spent a lot of time researching how to design my coop & my runs when planning for my chickens year round. The coop has windows on all 4 sides w/hardwire cloth “screens”. There is an interior hardwire cloth wall to allow the coop door to remain open for the southern breezes but the coop interior remains secure. Working on a barn door style, hardwire cloth “screen door” that will latch to keep the storage area secure & allow me keep the coop open at night (have a resident fox, possum AND raccoons). One run faces east/west & the other is a north/south orientation. There is always a large area of shade & distinct patches of direct sun in either run. The coop faces south & is located b/w 2 sets of trees for shade or wind protection. I am considering a misting system as mid-Michigan has inched up in more days above 85 during the summer & sometimes into Fall. I am hoping to create a larger “contained free range” option for the chickens for enrichment. You can plan & plan & plan for your chickens but there are no “answers” for “chicken math”

This is helpful info for those of us in the South. I live in FL and I lost a few girls to heat last summer. I was devastated. Then I learned that it helps the chickens a lot if you leave a trickle of running water from a hose during the day. This provides a wading stream that stays cool. Also, shade, shade, shade! I moved their run from a partly shady area to deep shade and it made a huge difference.
One last thing I learned is that there are some treats which are nice in the winter, but should be avoided in the summer because they actually raise body temperature. The two main ones are corn and sourdough discard. I do give these as treats on a late winter afternoon before a nighttime cold snap.

I have a question about sand. Lots of people say sand is cool but if you've ever walked across the beach on a sunny day you know sand can be scorching under foot.

Thank you for the info. It is helpful. I am currently putting out water with ice cubes for them to 'play' with. They don't just drink the water, they play keep-away with the cubes! Funny to watch. Although my run is covered, I would like to place a small 10' x 10' tarp near one side for the cruel afternoon sun. They are good to go in the morning but after 1:00 pm, it gets brutal. My neighbor also recommended a small fan in the coop. Great article.

This is a great read , I am looking forward to using many of these ideas..being in southern Louisiana is straining on my flock during the summer , especially this year with record highs. Thanks

Living where it can get to 115 degrees it is vital that we help our chickens cool off as much as possible. There were some good ideas in this article that could help almost anyone with chickens in the heat.

Lots of great ideas, some of which I've been doing already: put a mister in the run, give them bits of frozen fruits, put out chunks of watermelon that they peck at and eat, run a fan in the coop and open windows and doors for more ventilation, put a roof over the run.

I got mine a solar fan. I put it below the mister. It’s must be at least 10 degrees cooler in the coop or more with this simple hack. We are in Phx Az. Are temps here are in the 100s

All great tips

I had chickens as a kid. I don’t remember them being as “fun” as much as a “chore” when I was younger. Mine are about 4.5 months old and They are a hoot!. I have 3 Brahmas, 2 Rhode island reds and 2 Leghorns. They have such personality. We have a run but in the morning, I’m training them to stay in a particular area, so I just pull out my folding chair and sit outside with them and “work” from home in the morning doing my “charting” as I’m a home nurse. I’ve been a bit worried because we are experiencing “extreme heat advisories” with >110 degree temps. Next week we are suppose to hit 117 degrees. I’ve done just about everything I can think of and I’m hoping it’s enough. We have evap cooler, misting system, water, frozen veg treats, etc. This is the first summer we’ve ever had chickens.. As a kid, we would let our chickens run loose during the day and I don’t remember ever “babying them”. I know we never had misters, etc on them and they all seemed to do fine. We lived in Tucson AZ when I was a kid. Now we live in Phoenix. I hope they’ll do ok. I don’t want to loose any to heat.

Great ideas! We ordered a mister on Amazon for $17 and it works great! The chicks love it!

Great article covering everything you need to know about keeping chickens cool in summer.

Very informative article!