Using A Tarp To Lower Ground Temperature

[Elspeth Dinsmore]

Thank you. I'll start adding these things to the run area. Right now it's grass,sand and pine shavings.

Ideally, we would like for it to be deeper because my understanding is that you need a high proportion of grass clippings and leaves compared to the chicken droppings. Thankfully, it is working very well even without the depth we are aiming for. It doesn't smell out there at all.

I love what you did to your run.

Thanks so much! I love it too. My family worked hard together to build it.

God provided this massive dog fencing for only 33 dollars at a thrift store near us. It is 300 sq. ft. of space! It has worked wonderfully!

 

[Elspeth Dinsmore]

I buy shade cloth from Amazon in 3x6 90% filtered. I purchased a few cattle panels and I use zip ties to attach the cloth to the panels so I can move the “shade” for the chickens. Right now I have them leaning at a 45 degree angle against the coops so that underneath the coop is nice and cool.
I love reading about everyone else’s ideas for providing shade.

Those are great ideas! I love that you can move them around! Cattle panels are so useful.

 

[Carters Chick House]

I buy shade cloth from Amazon in 3x6 90% filtered. I purchased a few cattle panels and I use zip ties to attach the cloth to the panels so I can move the “shade” for the chickens. Right now I have them leaning at a 45 degree angle against the coops so that underneath the coop is nice and cool.
I love reading about everyone else’s ideas for providing shade.

Me too. I've only had chickens 4 years. I'm learning more everyday.

 

[Elspeth Dinsmore]

Me too. I've only had chickens 4 years. I'm learning more everyday.

I've only had chickens for a year. We have 10 hens and 1 rooster. It's nice to hear everyone's ideas!

 

[Ocho 8 Farm]

Me too. I've only had chickens 4 years. I'm learning more everyday.

Yes!! I love coming to this website and reading everyone else’s tips and hints and tricks! I have learned so much from this community.

I BYC.com

 

[gtaus]

It's nice to hear everyone's ideas!

I mentioned that I have one section of my chicken run that I allowed some "junk" trees to grow. I top them off at about 6 feet high, just under the bird netting that I have stretched from the chicken run fencing. Here is what that looks like...

That section is about 1/3 of my total chicken run. The other 2/3 of the run has no shade. As you can see, all my chickens were under the cover of these shade trees when I took this picture yesterday. It was a blistering 82F outside yesterday with a miserable 79% humidity level. It's the humidity that gets to me. Probably the chickens as well.

I also mentioned that I converted my entire chicken run into a chicken run composting system. I dump all my leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps and leftovers, just about anything organic, and, of course, old coop litter gets tossed into the run as well. One of the benefits to having so much compost being made in the run is that the chickens will pick out a nice spot to dig a hole and take a dust bath...

The compost is almost finished in that spot and maybe about 6 inches deep. Makes for a nice dust bath. I was outside and caught this girl taking a dust bath out in the sun. Life is good when you are a happy chicken enjoying the warm weather and sunshine.

Anyways, my chickens seem to really like the shade trees and it did not cost me anything to just let them grow. I just have to trim them down a couple times in the summer.

If I remember, I will try to get some temp readings of the ground under the shade trees and the ground temps of the compost area in full sun. You got me wondering if there will be a big difference in my setup.

 

[tlcmurphy]

96 degrees here, at 5pm. The girls are in the shady corner of the yard digging up bugs, but they do spend time under the shade of various bushes.

82 degrees is Spring here

 

[gtaus]

If I remember, I will try to get some temp readings of the ground under the shade trees and the ground temps of the compost area in full sun. You got me wondering if there will be a big difference in my setup.

OK, got some temp readings just for fun.

Outside temp: 79F
Gravel road, full sun: 106.7F
Green grass, full sun: 89.7F
Green grass, shaded: 71.7F
Chicken run compost, full sun: 93.7F
Chicken run compost, shade under trees: 71.7F

Note: the chicken run compost in the full sun is mainly brown, dried grass clippings at this time. Evidently, green grass in full sun is cooler than brown dried grass clippings in full sun.

Not the full 40F difference you saw in your setup with full sun versus shade, but still a nice cooling effect under my shade trees. There was a 35F difference between the gravel road temp in full sun and the chicken run compost under the shade trees. I suspect that if I had sand in my chicken run, it would be about as hot as a gravel road.

And yes, I realized that some people might consider our current outside temp of 79F in northern Minnesota to be mid-winter for them. However, as I mentioned, when you combine 82F outside temps with 79% humidity, you feel it. Well, at least I do. I have lived in southern states and had no problem with dry heat. But the humidity here is what gets to me. You break out into a sweat just walking out to your car!

 

[tlcmurphy]

Our humidity is currently ~50%, lower than usual, so it doesn’t actually feel as hot as in previous days. Expected to hit 100 degrees here tomorrow though

 

[Elspeth Dinsmore]

I mentioned that I have one section of my chicken run that I allowed some "junk" trees to grow. I top them off at about 6 feet high, just under the bird netting that I have stretched from the chicken run fencing. Here is what that looks like...

View attachment 3872970

Wow! That looks fantastic! How did you get them to grow in there? Was it sectioned off for a bit so the chickens didn't eat the little saplings? What sort of trees are they?

That section is about 1/3 of my total chicken run. The other 2/3 of the run has no shade. As you can see, all my chickens were under the cover of these shade trees when I took this picture yesterday. It was a blistering 82F outside yesterday with a miserable 79% humidity level. It's the humidity that gets to me. Probably the chickens as well.

Humidity can sure make heat unbearable. It can get pretty humid here too. 79% sounds awful!

I also mentioned that I converted my entire chicken run into a chicken run composting system. I dump all my leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps and leftovers, just about anything organic, and, of course, old coop litter gets tossed into the run as well.

That is so cool! That's a wonderful way to utilize everything.

One of the benefits to having so much compost being made in the run is that the chickens will pick out a nice spot to dig a hole and take a dust bath...

View attachment 3872988

That's a cute chicken! Is she a Buff Orpington? I have two Buff Orpingtons!

Thanks for all the ideas and the pictures! I love your run!