How do you desert chicken owners keep chickens cool in 120F summers?

[Meringue]

Hi there!

We just started our flock from chicks in a brooder box in our breezeway, now about six weeks old and far too large to stay in the box much longer. We have six total (we planned to have three, but all the internet reading suggested buying more because they sometimes die…but now we have six healthy birds).

We assembled a coop from Tractor Supply as a starter coop with plans to build a bigger permanent coop in the future…but we are very hesitant to move them!

It is currently May in Arizona. Today’s high was 94 degrees. We put a blink camera inside the coop and checked the camera temp—inside, it was 141 degrees at 1pm!

I put one of those personal evaporative coolers inside, and that dropped it down to about 109 by the hottest part of the day.

We plan to stretch a sun shade sail over the area where their coop will be, water the area frequently, and of course they can get out into the run, which is largely shaded by the coop itself. We also planned to let them out regularly to range the yard.

I read somewhere that the 80s is when they start to get stressed, so I am nervous about putting them outside…and yet, they’re about outgrowing the box.

Yet, I know there are so many people out here with chickens. How are you doing it? Do the chickens acclimate to the higher temps, to some degree, or is the 80s truly a danger zone? How do you keep them alive in July-August?

 

[Evadig]

Hi there!

We just started our flock from chicks in a brooder box in our breezeway, now about six weeks old and far too large to stay in the box much longer. We have six total (we planned to have three, but all the internet reading suggested buying more because they sometimes die…but now we have six healthy birds).

We assembled a coop from Tractor Supply as a starter coop with plans to build a bigger permanent coop in the future…but we are very hesitant to move them!

It is currently May in Arizona. Today’s high was 94 degrees. We put a blink camera inside the coop and checked the camera temp—inside, it was 141 degrees at 1pm!

I put one of those personal evaporative coolers inside, and that dropped it down to about 109 by the hottest part of the day.

We plan to stretch a sun shade sail over the area where their coop will be, water the area frequently, and of course they can get out into the run, which is largely shaded by the coop itself. We also planned to let them out regularly to range the yard.

I read somewhere that the 80s is when they start to get stressed, so I am nervous about putting them outside…and yet, they’re about outgrowing the box.

Yet, I know there are so many people out here with chickens. How are you doing it? Do the chickens acclimate to the higher temps, to some degree, or is the 80s truly a danger zone? How do you keep them alive in July-August?

Hi and ! I don't live in the desert, and my area is fairly humid, but we have had high temps of 100 F. My hens are all dual purpose heritage that do better in cold than heat, but they cope with the high temperatures by spending most of the day sunbathing in the shade. I give them cool snacks too, like yogurt or watermelon. Make sure they have plenty of water, and that it doesn't get too hot. Also make sure the coop has lots of ventilation.
Edit...if you have the Sentinel Coop in the link, it will not be big enough for the six chickens when they are full grown. I would start building your coop now in case you encounter difficulties further on. And as for right now, the coop needs way more ventilation. You could cut out rectangular holes on the top and cover them with hardware fabric.

Hope this helps!

 

[DobieLover]

Those temperatures are too high for them.
I would remove two sides of the coop and cover them with 1/2" hardware cloth for a more open air design. The coop (and run) are very small for the number of birds you have.

 

[FrostRanger]

I am in a hot and humid climate, but i put out several foot baths for my girls as their feet are one of the few exposed areas they have. Shade over a much larger area than you think you'll need and provide as much ventilation as possible. A mister on a timer and a coop fan might be a good idea

 

[Meringue]

Hi and ! I don't live in the desert, and my area is fairly humid, but we have had high temps of 100 F. My hens are all dual purpose heritage that do better in cold than heat, but they cope with the high temperatures by spending most of the day sunbathing in the shade. I give them cool snacks too, like yogurt or watermelon. Make sure they have plenty of water, and that it doesn't get too hot. Also make sure the coop has lots of ventilation.
Edit...if you have the Sentinel Coop in the link, it will not be big enough for the six chickens when they are full grown. I would start building your coop now in case you encounter difficulties further on. And as for right now, the coop needs way more ventilation. You could cut out rectangular holes on the top and cover them with hardware fabric.

Hope this helps!

Thanks! I saw a few others mention ventilation as key; we are starting plans right now for a bigger and more ventilated coop.

 

[Meringue]

Those temperatures are too high for them.
I would remove two sides of the coop and cover them with 1/2" hardware cloth for a more open air design. The coop (and run) are very small for the number of birds you have.

Thank you. Someone else gave similar advice, and as I am figuring out the forums, it seems like other desert-dwellers prioritize ventilation, too.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

As others were saying, ventilation is super, super important, and so is shade. I live in a desert area as well, and I not very smartly positioned my coop so that there isn't any shade in the run from about five in the evening until the sun sets. No matter how hard I try, the coop gets hotter than the outside temperature, so they prefer to spend time outside in the shade. If there's no shade, they stay inside and are miserable.

I've found that getting the ground in their run wet, not wet enough to form puddles, but just some mud, helps them to stay cool as well. I know some members on here put trays with ice chunks out in the run, and the hens really enjoy standing in them.

It doesn't often get up to 120 here, but I've lost two hens to heatstroke over the course of six years. Both times were when the hen laid an egg during the hottest part of the day and just couldn't handle the heat. I keep a bowl of cool water in the coop, and periodically throughout the day, I go out and put some of the hardest panting hens in the water, and it cools them down for a bit. It's not a fix, of course, but it helps them feel better.

What breeds do you have? Some breeds do much better in the heat than others do.

 

[BDutch]

Mine love cool foot baths in summer when its very warm.

Add a second ‘coop’ or make an extension with just a roof and hardware cloth (hwc) at 3/4 sides. Make a roost, poop board and nestbox in it and let the chickens chose were to sleep. Put the nestbox in a shady spot or add reflection foil on top. Or make a roost with poop board in the run if its secure and don’t lock the pop door. In winter they might prefer the normal coop (with good ventilation).

During the day: Natural shade with bushes is cooler than a roof or a tarp. Add a run with strong netting or hwc on top and add one or two bushes that give good shade and you can prune easily. Add a drip hose for irrigation and cooling.

 

[Meringue]

I am in a hot and humid climate, but i put out several foot baths for my girls as their feet are one of the few exposed areas they have. Shade over a much larger area than you think you'll need and provide as much ventilation as possible. A mister on a timer and a coop fan might be a good idea

Thank you! A fan seems like a must. Our temps out here easily hit 120 in the summer; I am eager for any good tips to keep our birds as comfortable as possible! I had heard that misters are not good for them, but it seems like one of the best ways to cool the area. Did you find that they avoided the misters?

As others were saying, ventilation is super, super important, and so is shade. I live in a desert area as well, and I not very smartly positioned my coop so that there isn't any shade in the run from about five in the evening until the sun sets. No matter how hard I try, the coop gets hotter than the outside temperature, so they prefer to spend time outside in the shade. If there's no shade, they stay inside and are miserable.

I've found that getting the ground in their run wet, not wet enough to form puddles, but just some mud, helps them to stay cool as well. I know some members on here put trays with ice chunks out in the run, and the hens really enjoy standing in them.

It doesn't often get up to 120 here, but I've lost two hens to heatstroke over the course of six years. Both times were when the hen laid an egg during the hottest part of the day and just couldn't handle the heat. I keep a bowl of cool water in the coop, and periodically throughout the day, I go out and put some of the hardest panting hens in the water, and it cools them down for a bit. It's not a fix, of course, but it helps them feel better.

What breeds do you have? Some breeds do much better in the heat than others do.

Thank you for the suggestions! The tips on this forum are so helpful. I let them into the garden today after I misted the soil lightly and they LOVED burying themselves in the cool dirt. I think we can get a reasonable amount of shade over the coop area throughout the day and ensure they have some cooler wet spaces to cool off.

As for breeds...We have a mix. Two Cream Leg Bars, a Cuckoo Maran, a Barred Rock, a Blue Copper Maran, and a Gold Star.

 

[EddieSalita]

Those temps happen in summer where I am. Not often. It's usually more like 100-110 on average.
Without a lovely shady food forest, well ventilated coop and appropriate breeds with large wattles. I think it would be harder and not terribly humane.

On those really hot days, periodic sprinkler in the food forest. Some nice damp deep shady areas for the to scratch up cool earth. They do just fine.

But yeah, multi level shade plants, damp earth and short frequent sprinkling to give respite.... makes a world of difference. Also lots of clean fresh water.

Edit to elaborate on shade. In my food forest is a large, dense banana ring, several large Malabar chestnut trees, native fig, pigeon pea, European fig, moringa trees, citrus trees, loquat, grevillia. All around, under and near those trees are lemongrass, arrowroot, tumeric, dwarf nectarines, cassava, Thai holy basil amongst other things.
All these plants thrive in extreme heat. With varying water requirements. A couple of high up wobble sprinklers will produce fine rain over the entire area without making mud. Other than the cassava and arrowroot they don't eat them too much. On a hot day in the middle of the day they can be found dust bathing and sleeping in the damp earth under the clumps of lemongrass, under the loquat and amongst the bananas. You walk in there and it's at least 20 degrees cooler.
It's my view that in these really hot tropical climates, a food forest is the go and superior to plain pasture. They are a forest fringe bird, so it seems to really suit them.