Tips for Cool Chicks This Summer!
Holiday Time Tips for Cool Chicks (and Chickens) This Summer!
How are all you Chicken keepers managing with your Chickens in this heat? Hope you’re managing to keep them Cool!
For our UK chickens weather like this will be like going on holiday abroad for them! Maybe you’re even thinking of upgrading their current accommodation to make them a bit more comfortable in this unusually hot summer? If so you are in luck – but not for long! Our very generous 10% discount off all Swiss Chalet Henhouses, Ark Style Housing, Duck Houses and Chicken Runs is due to end on July 31st so if you are interested please order soon! Read the full blog on our Poultry and Duck Houses on our blog 10th June 2013 (https://www.electricfencing.co.uk/poultry-duck-housing-offer/) (please use codes in this earlier blog at check out or on the phone).
And if you have any questions just give us a call!
And while you’re thinking of how to keep your chickens cool and content, here are a few things to check:
1) Ventilation: in hot weather make sure you keep the chicken house/coop well ventilated – open all available windows and doors. If you’re siting a new chicken house (or if your chicken house is movable) try to avoid placing its windows in the path of direct sunlight. If your coop does have its windows in direct sun, you could remove them for the summer and replace them with a screen or treat them with a reflective coating to avoid turning your coop into a greenhouse! And better ventilation means fewer mites (see below)!
2) Water: water is very important for chickens, especially in hot weather since chickens can’t sweat like us to keep themselves cool. When they’re too hot they will pant or keep their wings away from their bodies to stay cool. Chickens can only survive a few hours without access to water especially when it’s very hot or and/or humid. Always make sure your chickens have access to plenty of fresh, clean, and preferably cold, water - they will drink much more water when it’s cool water! To keep their water cool longer, use steel instead of plastic water containers and add lots of ice cubes to the water – told you, its holiday time for your chickens!
When you’re filling up their water containers you can also hose down the chicken house and surrounding areas in the heat of the day – yip, give them their own splash area – just like the kids on holiday!
Chicken emergencies! Did you know that in countries well-used to high temperatures, chicken keepers often keep a bucket of cool, water (not cold), near the flock at all times: if any chicken begins to look overheated (panting, wings away from its sides, droopy, lethargic or pale in the wattles and comb) they immediately submerge it in the cool water up to its neck to bring its body temperature down? This can save an overheated chicken’s life!
3) Night time: if you shut their house over at night, check that there's plenty of air getting in – on nights when you can’t sleep because of the heat your chickens may well be suffering too…
4) Broody hens: special care and attention will be needed for any broody hens during hot weather – they will try to stay in their nest box all day long and get dehydrated. Lift the chicken out and make sure she gets some water and a chance to eat as well as fresh air. And if you are going to be out all day during hot weather, try and build a separate shelter for her outside and keep her in that area. If you just shut her out of the coop the others may just bully her. Either way, make sure she has access to lots of water.
5) Maintenance: cleaning and maintenance of the Hen House is a lot easier in summer but hot weather does bring about mites so make sure you closely check all the little nooks and crannies and perches in the Hen house. If any are present, buy a good powder to sprinkle in the necessary places.
If you are not sure what you need or which poultry or duck house is best for you…please contact us –
- Email: [email protected]
- Call: 01620 860058
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