Moving to Surprise AZ-any tips on protecting ducks and chickens from the heat

[Petaluma Petting Zoo]

Hi everyone,

I am moving from California to Arizona and am concerned about the HEAT! The vet suggested to be sure to move well before summer to get them acclimated.

I am looking for any tips for how best to construct structures to keep my ducks and chickens cool. I will have a barn installed and a 20 ft x 50 ft minimum run that is completely enclosed attached to the barn (was thinking chain link with a top and snake proofing on the sides as well). Not moving until fall so I have time to figure it out. I think a shade shelter is a must that will cover half their run as well??? any recommendations (or who to stay away from) for barn builders or bird enclosure construction? The duckies will have a pond, still have to do more research on that. Wondering about heated/cooled barns and fans or misters for their run?? I have six ducks, three hens and one rooster. They all hang out together and get along well.

thank you everyone!

 

[Debbie292d]

@EmmaDonovan is one I know that would have some tips for you. Also, you might try asking in the Arizona thread too.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi there. I have chickens and ducks here in AZ and have a few suggestions.

First, I suggest you put the coop/run on the east side of your barn so they get deep shade in the afternoons. I also recommend that you create a mud area where they can cool off daily and make mud a couple times a day in summer.

Chain link isn’t great, we have rats here so 1/4” hardware cloth would be better if you can swing it. It depends on where in surprise you’re moving as to whether snakes wil be an issue.

In addition to daily mud puddles, a way to make ice every day in summer has been crucial for us, especially since our summers have been more brutal than usual lately. I take blocks of ice out and plop them in baby pools. As the ice melts the crew will stand in the water as well as sip it. Ducks and chickens both enjoy this a lot. I usually do one block per pool at around 2 and again at 4 so they have the coolness leading up to the hottest part of the day. I use a few plastic pitchers to make ice and let them thaw enough to slide out into the pools, and it’s cheaper to make at home than buy. Ice cubes are worthless, they’re gone in a couple minutes from the heat.

Frozen treats are great in summer too. I will freeze berries or herbs in a container for afternoon treats. Melons are always a hit and I buy frozen blueberries, peas, and squash and toss them out still frozen.

Some people will suggest a misting system, but our water situation is scary so I don’t use them.

Consider a coop that has wire walls rather than solid. Night time temps here are in the 90’s in summer and a solid wall coop is a death trap. I have the option to add walls to mine in winter but this year I haven’t needed to. Only two of my chickens even sleep in the coop, the other three prefer the shade garden even in winter. No solid walls on that, just wire and shade cloth. The ducks don’t sleep in a coop either, just out and about in the yard. I realize you said run, so yes a covered portion for solid shade and rain protection would be a good idea, but I would let the crew sleep in the run if they decided to.

Here’s a link to the AZ thread. You’ll find lots of good suggestions

Thread 'Arizona Chickens'
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/arizona-chickens.31227/

Good luck to you!

 

[Petaluma Petting Zoo]

Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it!!! I will be sure to get the summer gauge wire to keep the rats out. Never thought about leaving the ch Ken’s outside but that’s a great idea- I will leave it all secured but doors open from barn to run so they can decide. The ice and baby pools is brilliant! Thank you again

 

[Petaluma Petting Zoo]

@EmmaDonovan is one I know that would have some tips for you. Also, you might try asking in the Arizona thread too.

Thank you- I didn’t even think of the AZ thread! Will do

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Hello, fellow Californian! Petaluma to Surprise is going to be a big change.

There are two summers here: dry summer followed by wet summer. Dry summer is unbearably hot and the humidity drops down to 2-3%. Wet summer is also unbearably hot but more humid. That's when the monsoon storms come to cool things off a little. It's easier to cool chickens down when the humidity is lower (dry summer) than when it's higher (wet summer).

Your first summer will be hit and miss. Try different things out to figure out what works best for you and your chickens. I go into summer mode when temps hit 90F or when the chickens start panting, whichever comes first.

I make ice blocks using these trays.

I freeze them and keep a big stack in our chest freezer, ready to go. I scatter them throughout the pens and change them out every few hours when they melt. I also put ice in the waterers. Some people like to add a supplement to water, like this one.

I don't use metal waterers, feeders, or nest boxes. They get way too hot in the summer. I have one metal waterer that I use in winter because I can safely heat it (I don't like to use heaters on plastic).

I freeze water bottles of various sizes, 20 oz. to 2 liters, and distribute those throughout the run. The chickens like to lay next to or on them to cool down. Those bottles are also kept ready to go in the chest freezer and replaced throughout the day.

Everyone I know with chickens have runs and coops that are completely covered. You can't have too much shade. Even in a completely covered run they will still get sufficient sun in winter.

I use heavy-duty waterproof 16 mil tarps as covers because they're easy to attach to rounded roofs. White reflects the sun well. Many people use corrugated polycarbonate or steel panels for roofs. Those are more expensive but much more durable than tarps.

I use these standing misters.

Don't set it up the way it looks in the photo, that looks like a snake to chickens and can frighten them. It's bendable so you can set it up any way you like. I wind them around the inside of the run fence.

Many people use these hose misters for all kinds of livestock enclosures: chickens, ducks, horses, etc.

Make sure your barn and run can stand up to Arizona storms. The winds can be vicious. I'm just outside of Tucson and we had a tornado last year that completely destroyed our yard, fence, and part of our house's roof. The tornado was an EF1 with wind speeds between 86 and 110 mph. It obliterated our run - there was literally nothing left.

I'd never seen anything like it in my life. I didn't know it was a tornado, there was no warning. I only knew it was an extremely violent storm.

At that time the coop was in a slightly more protected area near some buildings. My roommate and I were able to get the hens into the coop and we stood outside in the storm and protected it as best we could. The hens survived but it was a terrifying and dangerous experience, not something I care to repeat!

I have temporary pens now and I'm rebuilding a permanent coop and run over the next few months. The new run and coop will be attached to t-posts anchored deep in the ground in cement. Above the ground they will be anchored to concrete block walls.

Watch your birds in the summer and monitor their appearance and behavior for any signs of heat stress. Having cameras in the coop and run helps a lot with this. I use these Reolink cameras. They stand up well to our weather. I just keep a camera window open on my desktop computer as I work and check it regularly.

Have a system in place for any birds who look like they're suffering in the heat. You want to catch it early. I keep six "hospital" cages set up in the coolest part of our house. These are 18 gallon tubs with pine shavings, cups for food and water, and a screen lid. Last year we needed to bring hens inside two or three times during the summer. They recovered quickly once they were in cooler temps.

That was their first summer and everyone survived. Sometimes chickens die in the summer. Don't blame yourself if that happens. Arizona summers are beyond extreme and there's only so much you can do. Just do the best you can.

Our coop is a long rectangle shape and the long sides are 1/2" hardware cloth, only the ends are solid wood. Ventilation is key. It's next to impossible to have too much. I have a tarp over the coop to keep the rain off and provide additional shade. In winter I cover the hardware cloth with boards to block the wind, when needed.

Build your coop and enclosure to keep out predators and pests. Coyotes and wildcats are perfectly capable of jumping 6' walls and fences and they hunt in urban areas. Mice and wild birds will eat your feed and squirrels will steal feed and eggs. Build with all of these in mind.

Many people put fans around and in their coops and runs in summer. Air movement helps a lot. I use a floor fan and a pedestal rotating fan.

Obviously these need to be well protected from the rain and storms. Some people attach air conditioners to their coops (I haven't but I'm considering it).

I freeze berries, fruit, and peas and give those as treats during summer, the chickens love them. You can also freeze blocks of ice with treats like fruit and vegetables inside. The chickens will peck at them to get at the treats, that gives them something to do in addition to cooling them off.

Good luck with your move! Ask questions any time!

 

[Petaluma Petting Zoo]

THANK YOU sooo much. I really appreciate all the links! I too have had our winds destroy both chicken and duck enclosures and catching critters during a storm was not fun. I’m going to have our new run built- predator proof ‘dog kennel’ about 20 x 50 ft and then have lots of plants, bushes and trees around it. I was only going to cover half the roof so I appreciate your input. I will have the roof placed over the entire enclosure- they are metal roofs so I will see if we can get a light color.

Back to square one with my planning thanks to all the input I received- I can’t thank you all enough! All the birds say ‘thank you’

 

[Petaluma Petting Zoo]

Thank you

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Beautiful birds!