Hot chick in the country: Tips to keep your backyard chickens cool

Let’s face it. It’s hot here in Maine right now, and in addition to feeling sorry for myself that we do not have air conditioning, I have been worried about my backyard chickens keeping cool. The heat is hard on chickens as well, and I’m convinced that my girls are trying to tell me “This is Maine. We’re not used to this.”

I especially worry about my black Easter Egger chicken, and it is important to realize that some breeds can handle the heat better than others. But there are some things we can do to help all of our backyard chickens handle this heat better, and most of them are easy. Because the heat is a big stress on them as well, here are some tips to help you keep your backyard chickens a little cooler during this heat wave.

chickens and watermelon

Our chickens love watermelon, and our rooster, named Rooster, who usually won’t eat unless the hens are done, will go ahead and dig into the watermelon! It’s a great summer treat!

  1. Make sure your chickens have access to shade. They need to be able to escape the sun during the middle of the day.
  2. Make sure your chickens have fresh, clean, cool water throughout the day. This may mean you need to change their water a couple of times a day. And do your best to keep the water in the shade.
  3. Consider adding electrolytes to their water. You can purchase electrolyte packages at your local feed store, or you can make your own from this recipe at Fresh Eggs Daily.
  4. Give your chickens some fresh or frozen treats to cool them down–think watermelon, frozen corn, frozen blueberries, cantaloupe, anything with a high water content that your chickens will love.
  5. Avoid dried or scratch treats right now. The juicer the treat, the better.
  6. Keep a little pool in the shade for them. My chickens won’t go in ours, but I’ve seen chickens that will. I’ve also resorted to picking up my chickens and just letting them get their feet wet in the pool. Apparently, just getting chicken feet wet can help.
  7. Finally, make sure your coop has good ventilation. Those girls are going to have to in there to lay, and you don’t want it to be dangerously hot. Open the doors and windows and put in a fan if you can.