Tips to keep chickens cool!

Here in Texas we are quickly approaching Summer and that means you need to stock up on electrolytes for your girls.  Chickens will die if they are too hot.  If you see your chickens panting, they are too hot!  

Go ahead and offer them regular cold water, and another container of "chicken-aid".  I mix up a gallon every night before bed and keep it in the fridge. Here are some other tips to keep chickens cool!   

I let my chickens free range when its this hot, they know where they feel coolest(aka under the porch)  So I place water close to where they will be. Just walking around will over heat a hen, so don’t make them travel far for water.  I also have a box fan to keep air moving under there.  

In moderate weather a hen may drink a pint of water a day.  In hot weather, that amount nearly doubles.  Two pints a day X 6 hens = 12 pints people!!

Water EVERYWHERE: but don’t be thoughtless… a 5 gallon bucket of water is not the way to go.  If its not good for a toddler its not good for a chicken.  Keep  the bowls/pan shallow.

Shade: every animal should have plenty of shade to get into on hot days.

​Frozen water balloons make BIG ice cubes for waters.

Ice in drinking water: keeps the drinking water cool and helps lower body temperature. Chickens don't like drinking hot water either!  You can freeze water balloons to make big ice cubes.  Just make sure they fit through the top.  

Wading pools: fill inexpensive kitty litter trays with water for chickens to wade in.  Refill and wash it out twice a day. (this can make a huge difference)

Frozen water bottles: chickens can lay against these to keep cool.  Use larger 2 liter or gallon jugs to last longer before needing refreezing.  Put a towel over them for chicks that are not fully feathered. (keep them away from your food, or keep them in plastic bags while in your freezer)

Fans: Fans can be used, but keep in mind the dangers of chickens and fan blades.  Also, make sure the chickens can get out of the wind if they want.  You are trying to keep them happy not torture them!

Misters: a mister is a system that shoots a fine mist of water into the air to cool the air.  This works best in dryer climates and can be used in the run, in a shady spot, or in the coop so long as you are aware that it might leak a bit and cause wet bedding.

Electrolytes: if a chicken suffering from heat becomes lethargic, treat with electrolytes.  Powdered electrolytes can be purchased from feed stores and veterinary suppliers.  Store bought electrolyte drinks can be used but have a high sugar content.  Pedialyte, found in the infant food aisle is better than Gatoraid because it is lower in sugar content.

​Watermelon:  ​Chickens love melon and it is a great way to keep them cool.  Just don't over feed them.  It is very messy.

Cool off the coop:​ ​Spray down the roof of the coop a few times a day if you can.  

104 here we go..

Well, I knew it was coming... and after 4 years I still can't stand the heat  in Dallas.  We have about 72+ days that will totally suck, but stay diligent about your chicken chores!  Keeping chickens in the winter is MUCH easier than keeping them in the Summer.   I let my chickens free range when its this hot, they know where they feel coolest (aka under the porch)  So I place water close to where they will be.  Just walking around will over heat a hen, so don't make them travel far for water.  I also have a box fan to keep air moving under there.  

Tips to keep your chickens cool

• Water EVERYWHERE  (but don't be stupid... a 5 gallon bucket of water is not the way to go.  If its not good for a toddler its not good for a chicken.  Keep  the bowls/pan shallow.
• Shaded areas.  If you don't have shade, you better start making some.  Here are some good options.
• Water to stand in.  I use shallow pans and keep them in shady spots.  (Lola is a swimmer)
• Electrolytes in their water (if they are panting / drinking a lot) will help replace the electrolytes they are losing. Get them here  (give plain water & chicken-aid)
• In moderate weather a hen may drink a pint of water a day. In hot weather, that amount nearly doubles.  Two pints a day X 6 hens = 12 pints people!!
• Fresh water throughout the day. (water left out in the sun will soon be warmed, so it is nice to replace it with new cool water every now and then if you can).  A few ice cubes in the water can help keep it cooler for longer.

Cool fruits such as watermelon, can help cool and refresh your chickens on a hot summers day.

• Ventilation in the coop.
• Frozen ice packs - freeze 2 litre plastic bottles of water (or similar) as something cool that can be hung or laid on the floor of the coop or in a shaded area of the run for them to sit by or perch on if they want to. (if you can place the bottles in something like a zip-lock bag then they should be kept clean so that they can go back into the freezer ready for another hot day).
• Cool fruits such as watermelon (straight from the fridge for extra coolness!) will help cool and hydrate your chickens.
• A fan in the coop.  A well ventilated coop may not need a fan, but in very hot weather if there is no air circulation the heat they expel from their own bodies can increase the temperature even further.

Williams-Sonoma wants you to have chickens!

Re-blogged from

Williams-Sonoma Launches Agrarian Line

| April 2, 2012 | By Amber Benham

Chicken coop (Photo courtesy of Williams-Sonoma)

At Edible nothing warms our hearts like somebody learning to grow their own tomatoes or make their own ricotta. We’re all about empowering home cooks to take control of their food, both where it comes from and how it’s made. So when Williams-Sonoma told us they’d be launching a new line this April to help customers take their food from seed to table, we couldn’t have been more pleased. The new line, Agrarian, will launch this Thursday, April 5th online and then on April 9th in a few stores across the country (none in New York just yet). We got a sneak peak at the products included in the new line and thought we’d share a few.

Shiitake Mushroom Log (Photo courtesy of Williams-Sonoma)

For home gardeners, or wannabe urban farmers, there are raised bed planters, heirloom seeds, live plants, slate garden markers from our own Brooklyn Slate and even chicken coops! Kitchen enthusiasts will love the home canning tools, DIY cheesemaking kits, and kombucha kits. Our personal fave? The shiitake mushroom log. It’s just so cute and boy, wouldn’t it be nice to pluck a few homegrown shiitakes off your window sill when you’re making dinner?

Raised beds (Photo courtesy of Williams-Sonoma)

“There’s a wide range of people who live in the suburbs or in the city who maybe aren’t growing their own herbs or food and here’s a way for them to get started,” said Shannon Gomes, public relations manager for Williams-Sonoma. “We’ve got a DIY cheese kit that only takes a gallon of milk and one hour and you’ll have your own mozzarella and ricotta cheese.”

In addition to the 275 products being featured in the new Agrarian line, for the past year or so Williams-Sonoma has been experimenting with something called “Artisan Market”–an initiative to highlight and bring local food purveyors into its stores. On the first Saturday of each month at six locations around the country, including our Columbus Circle store, local food and drink makers are invited to show off their goods. The selection of vendors changes quarterly, but some of the folks that have turned out so far include: Brooklyn Seeds, Brooklyn Slate, Kombucha Brooklyn, Brooklyn Brine, Early Bird Granola, Rough Confections, Saucy Sauce, Emily’s Homemade, One Girl Cookies, Dulce Nona, Crown Maple, and Kyotofu. The program has been a big hit so far, resulting in robust sales, according to Allison O’Connor, Williams-Sonoma’s vice president of merchandising. So far there are Artisan Markets in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Austin and Portland, Oregon.

chicken run Vs. the ramblers

We are going to be embarking on a little chicken run project.  We usually let the ladies out during the day, and they wander around our back yard.  However, recently I have been coming home and finding them in the front yard.  I am pretty sure that the people across the street (selling their 300K condo) are none to pleased.  So I have been looking around for ideas.  Here is what I have found!

I think this last one is the best one for our backyard,  a little wider though.  I am looking forward to getting "the ramblers" more fenced in space.  Plus an ivy covered barrel vault will keep them cooler in the summer.  I would 100% recommend this, as free range all the time is just not realistic..even though I have been doing it for a year.

Once we get started I will post more pics.

12 Must Haves for a coop

1. Provides space for all the hens (depends on the breed)
2. Has ventilation
3. No drafts
4. Maintains a comfortable temperature
5. Protection from the elements
6. Keeps out rodents, wild birds and predators.
7. Has plenty of light during the day (not directly across from the nest box)
8. Plenty of roosting space. (depends on the size of hens you have)
9. clean nest boxes with lots of fluffy nesting material.
10. Super cleaning feed and water stations
11. Easy for you to clean (figure this into your coop design)
12. Has good drainage in the run (use mulch with no dye like Cypress Mulch)

When it comes to chicken keeping, cleanliness is the most important thing you can do for your flock and family.  A soiled coop is the fastest way to harm your chickens, alienate your neighbors and give the rest of us a bad name.  NO messy coops people!

How to wrap your chicken coop for the winter

There is no need to re-write the book on this.  The Garden Coop people have it all figured out.  Here is a great tutorial about how to keep your chickens out of cold rain and snow.

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Tips on wrapping your coop with plastic sheeting

• Use plastic sheeting that’s durable enough to hold up in the wind. Thickness is measured in mils. I used a roll of 4-mil polyethylene film, which you should be able to get at any hardware store. For comparison, a heavy-duty garbage bag is around 2-mil thick.
• Roll out your plastic sheet to the length you need and cut it to size. You decide how much your chicken coop or run that you want to enclose based on your local weather, angle of the sun, etc. I’ve found that on our Garden Coop, covering the back, right, and at least part of the front side works well to keep out driving rain and up-splash from the drip line in the back. I bring the plastic up about 2/3 of the way, since the roof overhang does a good job of shielding the top third or so. I might cover more, including the area under the henhouse, if conditions become particularly harsh.
• Cut a couple of one-by-twos to the width of each section of the chicken coop that you want to cover, one to attach the film at the top and one at the bottom. If you want to secure any side edges, cut one-by-twos for those too.
• Roll the edge of your plastic sheet around the upper one-by-two a couple times, then attach with a screw on either end (1 1/4″ should do), driving through the plastic and the one-by-two into the studs on the coop. At the bottom, you can do the same thing, or just sandwich the plastic sheet between the one-by-two and the sole plate.
• You’ll see in the pictures below that my plastic sheet was wide enough to simply fold in half and still cover the height I needed, so instead of rolling at the edge, I just tucked the one-by-two into the fold to mount it at the upper end.

Bok Bok Brrrr…

This week the temperatures have dipped into the 20’s.  If you do not have your coop winterized yet here are some tips.

• Make sure your coop is not drafty.  Caulk any gaps or cracks that might be causing a draft.  Chicken coops need to be ventilated; however a draft across your ladies is no good.
• Add extra pines shavings to the bottom of the “inside house” part of the coop.  A couple extra inches will help insulate the floor.  Toasty chicken toes.
• Install a Digital Wireless Weather Thermometer Indoor/Outdoor.  Now you will be able to check the temp inside the coop, from inside your house.  I recommend this one an AcuRite Digital Wireless Weather Thermometer Indoor/Outdoor, 00604

• Heat lamps.  Depending on the size and shape of your coop will determine how many you need.  I recommend this one:
• Use it with a ceramic infrared heat emitter…No light just heat!  Make sure you purchase the mesh safety cover so the hens don’t get too close. 

Hook the whole system up to a Thermo Cube Thermostatically Controlled Outlet.  This will turn the lamps on automatically at 35 and turn them off at 45.

You will read on the internet that chickens don't mind the cold...but as the curator of their lives it is your responsibility to keep them as safe and happy as possible.  If you need assistance with your winterization project please contact me.

[caption id="attachment_146" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="I don’t know where this photo originated!  If it is yours contact me so I can give you full credit for being so awesome"][/caption]