Tag: coop

Keeping Chickens in Excessive Heat

Recipe for Survival

Once again it’s that time of year when soaring temperatures raise concern for chicken keepers. For those who can free-roam their flock there is less worry. But if you have backyard chickens that are confined to a coop, your worries are quite valid. Here’s what you can do to make your flock more comfortable.

Air Flow

chickens aug 2011 011

There are steps to take that will help your chickens beat the heat, but it will take a little effort on your part.
If your coop is overcrowded it’s time to expand, too many birds in small quarters is just asking for trouble.
Air flow is vital. Chicken droppings generate heat, so be sure to clean the coop and lay down fresh bedding. If at all possible provide a fan for ventilation,  if it isn’t… find a way. A fan could be the difference between life and death.
Keeping the Flock Hydrated
There is a pecking order among chickens, so provide extra water sources for those lower-ranking birds who might not be allowed to use the drinker.
Chickens will drink more if the water is cool, provide cool water at the hottest time of the day. If you have broody hens, make it easy for them to access water, don’t assume they are leaving the nest… some don’t.
Tip: Full buckets of water will stay cold longer, put out a few.
Shallow ground drinkers work nicely for bantams.

Electrolytes

It’s always a good idea to have electrolytes on hand for those really hot days. Simply add it to your flock’s water source. Electrolytes for poultry can be found at your local feed store. It comes in many forms, choose one best suited for your needs & the size of your flock.

Chickens may or may not like a mist system, my birds hate them, however, I have heard positive feedback from other chicken keepers. So it may be something to consider useful in dry climates.
A more positive approach is to provide your birds with a small flooded area for them to play in. Even if it’s just a hose allowed to drip, they are magically lured to this life-saving man-made oasis.
Triple Digit Temperatures
Here in Phoenix, our temperatures can reach 115+ degrees, this is when it’s time to bring out watermelon, cantaloupe, lettuce, or anything that will help hydrate the flock. These foods will be better for them than layer pellets containing corn, which produces even more unwanted heat.
During these heat spells, I ration layer pellets, offering in morning, mid-day, and night for about an hour or so.

Gavin Flock, Summer 2011

Recipe for Successful Chicken Keeping in Excessive Heat
Shade is essential to the survival of chickens in extreme temperatures, especially if they’re cooped.  Your coop is best placed under a shade tree, but remember the sun moves and may leave your birds exposed to direct sun during the day.
Never use tarps
Shade cloth, mesh tarps, and shade sails are excellent for keeping the sun out, yet they don’t restrict airflow. Shade cloth is cheaper than mesh tarps and is available in most garden centers. Mesh tarps might be pricey, but they’re a lot easier to hang. Both, are durable and offer long-lasting wear.
Offer watermelon or cantaloupe & place it in a shady area.
Find a way to hang a fan a foot or so from the ground.
Provide an area where a hose is on a slow stream or drip.
Keep drinkers filled with cool water. Tip: Buckets kept full will stay cold longer.
Use shade cloth, mesh tarps, or shade sails.
Electrolytes for poultry

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A Tip on Keeping a Hen with Eggs or Chicks Safe Among the Flock

It’s best to keep a hen with fertile eggs under her in a separate place, but that’s not always possible. Personally, I like to keep my birds together, so this box is a nice solution. I found this pic somewhere and saved it so I could incorporate the idea into my coop.
Why is this Box Important?
Sometimes other hens can disturb a nest of fertile eggs causing them to break.
Other hens may quit laying if they are discouraged to enter the community nest area by a hen with eggs under her.
Newly hatched chicks may get injured or even killed by other members of the flock.
I like having the wire top hinged. It’s nice and super easy to move a broody hen from the community nest area and has the option to close the lid as hatch day approaches.

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Backyard Chickens, Know What You’re Getting Into

Is keeping backyard chickens cost effective?
How much time in caring for them is involved?

Updated Article on This Topic

These are valid questions, and certainly something you should prepare yourself before you buy those cute little chicks at the feed store. Chicks are tiny and super easy to manage for the first couple of weeks. But, about the time they reach 3 weeks of age, they will begin to outgrow the brooder box and become a bit of a chore to clean up after.
They will most likely be in a box in your house or garage with a heat lamp dangling overhead until they reach a minimum of 4 weeks of age. By this time they are still about two weeks shy of being fully feathered and ready to be moved to the outdoor coop. From day old to six weeks is a long time, and indeed a commitment. During this time you are going to be busy cleaning the brooder box every day multiple times. They will also need to be slowly weaned off a heat source before moving them to a coop.
Timing is everything, make sure to buy your chicks when the temperatures where you live aren’t extreme. Otherwise, you’ll be struggling to either keep six-week-old chicks warm or cool during the transition from indoors to out.
Keeping chickens can be fun and easy to care for, but you just can’t skimp when setting up their housing, one way or another you’ll pay for it.
In other words, chickens are expensive, no matter how you slice or dice it, that first fresh egg from even a small backyard flock will cost at a minimum, about 1,000+. It’s true! That’s a lot of store-bought shelf eggs.  But everything comes with a price,  the value of fresh eggs vs shelf eggs is something only you can decide.
I’ve thought about the cost-effectiveness of raising chickens, and it doesn’t add up. I’ve done the math, and well…there’s just no way! A dozen eggs can be bought for about $2.50 here in Phoenix, sometimes even less. It costs more to feed a small flock than it does to buy eggs!
A $25+ 40lb bag of layer pellets for six hens will last about 30 days.  Keep in mind, your hen’s rate of lay will significantly decrease in the winter and during molting. And, you’ll be feeding those hens for 5 to 6 months before they even reach their point of lay.
Even raising meat birds can’t possibly be cost-effective. I can go to any grocery store in town and buy a hot fully cooked rotisserie chicken for only $7.00! Oh my, it would cost me way more to feed that bird, and then I have to slaughter it too? Nah… I’ll pass.
There is an expense involved for the bedding in the coop and nesting area too. Pine shavings, hay, or straw will be necessary not only for the hen’s comfort, but it will keep the hen’s house cleaner and much easier to maintain.  The bigger the coop, the easier it will be to keep clean, but bigger also means more bedding to buy.  It also means your hens will be happier, and better egg producers. It’s like anything else, better always comes with a higher price tag.
Chickens are fun to watch, bring much enjoyment, and having fresh eggs is wonderful. There is no dispute over fresh eggs being a healthier choice, just be sure you are willing to put in the effort for the benefits.

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