teaching chickens to use a wading pool

[Ballerina Bird]

Hahahahahaha!

As to the OP.... I agree generally chickens just arent much for wading. A very few might occasionally wade through or like to wet their toes while drinking.

As someone said- finding moist, cool dirt is their natural way of cooling down. They either simply lie on this or dig the surface off then lie down.

It's totally up to you to try training them to wading but do not be surprised if they either don't take to it or only a few do.

The peafowl I had certainly liked to wade and even play around in pool or deep puddles... seemingly feeling around with their toes... having fun by scratching around or even hopping/flapping around. the difference is, it came to them completely naturally. No training at all and the chickens never did any of that. The most I ever saw was some stood toe-deep at the margins of a puddle to drink and walked away when they were done drinking. Never stood there for a period of time to cool off.

Not to say they wont, ever, never do that though.

Thanks, yes, I turned over all the soil in the run and have been adding water to it, per the helpful suggestion above, but it's so hot here that that doesn't really help to cool it even though my run is totally shaded. They also seem still to be preferring the parts of the run that are driest for their digging and sitting. I really only have one who seems to be having a hard time with the heat, and she is the one who seems to relaxing into the baby pool the most, so even if it just helps her I'll be happy.

 

[Kev]

Thanks, yes, I turned over all the soil in the run and have been adding water to it, per the helpful suggestion above, but it's so hot here that that doesn't really help to cool it even though my run is totally shaded. They also seem still to be preferring the parts of the run that are driest for their digging and sitting. I really only have one who seems to be having a hard time with the heat, and she is the one who seems to relaxing into the baby pool the most, so even if it just helps her I'll be happy.

Yeah that is the right thing to do- hope I did not seem to ridicule the pool idea. I no longer have peafowl and based on what I'd seen here just don't even try to get a pool anymore. But if it helps even one out then it's a good thing.

Keeping different areas is an excellent idea. I never wet down the whole pen, just parts.

I have totally shaded pens here also due to 110-120F summers.. there even is shade cloth down most of the sides. Even so, it is too much for some breeds, particularly the large, fluffy birds like the cuckoo marans- the roosters would simply drop dead from heat stroke when it went over 110. Same for the really big cornish but also surprisingly, the welsumer roosters all die every summers... gave up on those breeds. I no longer try to keep any feather leg chickens, these consistently have more problems with the heat than clean legs.

As it is, ended up with nearly all naked neck flock. Even the big heavy ones handle the heat well. Just got tired of losing chickens to heat stroke and constantly doing things to keep them cool only to have them drop dead when I was away for a weekend... that sucked. Real nice not to have to worry about that anymore.

 

[aart]

If you live in an area with low humidity a misting system can offer some real relief.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Yeah that is the right thing to do- hope I did not seem to ridicule the pool idea. I no longer have peafowl and based on what I'd seen here just don't even try to get a pool anymore. But if it helps even one out then it's a good thing.

Keeping different areas is an excellent idea. I never wet down the whole pen, just parts.

I have totally shaded pens here also due to 110-120F summers.. there even is shade cloth down most of the sides. Even so, it is too much for some breeds, particularly the large, fluffy birds like the cuckoo marans- the roosters would simply drop dead from heat stroke when it went over 110. Same for the really big cornish but also surprisingly, the welsumer roosters all die every summers... gave up on those breeds. I no longer try to keep any feather leg chickens, these consistently have more problems with the heat than clean legs.

As it is, ended up with nearly all naked neck flock. Even the big heavy ones handle the heat well. Just got tired of losing chickens to heat stroke and constantly doing things to keep them cool only to have them drop dead when I was away for a weekend... that sucked. Real nice not to have to worry about that anymore.

That is an excellent point about breeds; I avoided the fluffies for exactly this reason. My girls are pita pinta asturianas, a Spanish heritage breed that is actually supposed to be quite heat hardy, so I think they will be fine; I am just a worried new chicken owner! Anyway, thanks so much for the help.

 

[aart]

My smallest, slimmest, least fluffy bird is the one who seems most bothered by the heat...first to pant and hold wings out, first to love the ice water foot bath.

 

[Kev]

That is an excellent point about breeds; I avoided the fluffies for exactly this reason. My girls are pita pinta asturianas, a Spanish heritage breed that is actually supposed to be quite heat hardy, so I think they will be fine; I am just a worried new chicken owner! Anyway, thanks so much for the help.

Oh cool.. I've checked out the thread for that breed before.. even briefly considered trying a few to introduce that coloring into my naked necks.

 

[Kev]

My smallest, slimmest, least fluffy bird is the one who seems most bothered by the heat...first to pant and hold wings out, first to love the ice water foot bath.

My big surprise was how heat intolerant the welsumers are. 100% rooster mortality every summer, even some hens died, most spent the summers seemingly very bothered.

Tried to maintain by breeding the cockerels as soon as possible before the summer heat came on but it just got too disappointing to see them not do well and decided the kindest thing was to simply stop trying to keep this breed. Sure liked the birds and their eggs though.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

My smallest, slimmest, least fluffy bird is the one who seems most bothered by the heat...first to pant and hold wings out, first to love the ice water foot bath.

Poor thing!

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Oh cool..  I've checked out the thread for that breed before.. even briefly considered trying a few to introduce that coloring into my naked necks. 

They are WONDERFUL. Smart, friendlly, beautiful, calm.

 

[aart]

Quote: I Know, Right!?
..and it's not even that hot here (90's) but it's so very humid even mid 80's causes most the birds to pant.