Between the heat and the humidity and now the smoke, I decided to get out the mini air conditioner and put it back on the coop for a little while until we get past this weather. Their old one was shot and I bought them a new unit last year. I usually have a rule that I won't get it out unless I see three digit temperatures, but I broke down.

It may not be very efficient on the outside of a vent, but boy does it work! It is comfortable and drier in there, and the girls have been going in to roost early. They stop panting and they relax. They also lay more eggs.

The girls are happy. Here, they're waiting for a chunk of cold watermelon.

Nice touch

Ol' girls have a rough life!

Way to go, Patrice!

Moosetrot

That is fantastic. You sure do spoil those ladies. I miss having them running around the yard.

Take care of the girls. They take care of you.
I would say that was an eggnormous effort on your part.

Sarge

You got those birds spoiled! Mine are a bunch of mouth breathers in this heat. Not that there’s much breeze, I got the coop wide open for air flow. It amazes me that they still pile up against each other on the roost when it’s this hot. My rooster even spreads his wings over the top of the hen on either side of him. Still holds his favorite ladies at night even in this heat!

What a darling coop!! I used to have chickens when I lived in Smithfield. They were a joy. Then came the ducks and boy what a mess they made!!

Chickens don't sweat, so when they start overheating, only radiator they have to cool down with is to open mouth and start breathing hard.......panting. Lacking AC, critical need for them is ample supply of water.......and cool water at that. Even so.......once actual temps get much above 100F, they are close to being in trouble. Most commercial houses use cool cells........a variation on swamp coolers......to lower temps. When a chicken is panting.......it is trying to do same as swamp cooler. So plenty of cool water is a must.

Speaking of chickens, I went to Kwik Trip yesterday and I bought a dozen eggs for $1.00 and got another dozen free.
Way to go Patrice.

Nice!

For me, having chickens isn’t just about the free eggs. It’s the electricity I save from not needing an alarm clock. That’s the rooster’s job!

Our chickens are a mile from my house on my other farm, I should charge the neighbors for the alarm clock service!

I love the AC on the coop, the extra couple bucks in electricity seem worth it, I bet the Europeans would be impressed!

Be sure ro keep the filter cleaned often. The added dust in my daughters mouse shead from the beding closes the filter up fast. Im sure the tust is probably as bad or worse in the coop.

Always liked your idea of that AC, Patrice

When I had my chooks, when it would become too warm for them, they would find the very cool air flow from the vents in the cabin foundation and lounge in the shade right by them. It was exactly the same principal as your AC. They also loved to stand with their feet in the trickle of water from the hose. Cooling the feet helped. My well has ice cold water from deep in the mountains year round.

Chooks ain't stoopid !

I wonder if this has to do with the climate they are acclimated to? It regularly gets above 100 here. And is in the mid-90s most of the summer. My coop utilizes 5 gallon waterers and I fill them when they get empty, usually twice a week, so they rarely have "cool" water. I have never lost a chicken to heat. My coop is in the full shade though and has ample ventilation.

Can I move in with them?

Thanks, Les! Thanks, Moosey! They do, Trapdog!

Thanks, 160! I remember you used to have chickens. Maybe it's time for a few more! Excellent eggs and free entertainment.

You got that right, Sarge! I scrambled to get that done.

They are spoiled, BvrRetriever! When they're hot, mine often sit holding their wings away from their sides to let more heat escape. That doesn't work well if they pack together on the roost! In this heat and smoke, I occasionally catch one sitting in the coop during the day (when not laying an egg), listening to the radio and cooling down.

Thanks, Smash! Zim felt it needed a flower box from the beginning. The girls used to have a flag on a pole, but now they have the wooden flag on the front of the new "West Wing." They are very patriotic.

Hayday, the girls have a couple of 2 gallon waterers in the coop, and also a fountain in front of the house. When it gets really hot and they're outside, I'll dump a pile of ice in their water. It's fun to watch them guzzling water from between the ice cubes. They like the feeling of ice cold water going down their throats.

Thanks, Beav. I think my girls' eggs would run about $24/dozen to break even.

Thanks, Flipper!

Donnersurvivor, I'm sure my window unit sitting outside a vent and blowing half the air outside while maintaining open vents in multiple locations around the coop would be a model the Europeans would enjoy!

Providence Farm, I get it. That one has a simple pull-out fine screen I can blast off with the hose. Thanks for the reminder!

Your chooks, Sharon, lived in a mansion with about 100 square feet per chicken, plus free ranging! They had it made!

Which reminds me - How many of you chicken owners give your chickens some kind of shallow pool to wade in? I vaguely remember someone on here talking about putting water in a kiddie pool or something... I would like to hear about that if anyone has ideas there.

Yotetrapper, that might be true. Shade and good ventilation should keep it a bit cooler than it is outside. Do you keep a thermometer in your coop?

Sure, Big Bob!

We water outside in shallow pans that hold about 4 gal. The birds get in them becuse i have ro dump them and wash the poo out once or twice a day. I have gotten kiddi poos for the dogs to play in but not for the birds. You have a very nice looking coop.

No, not thermometer in the coop.

Years ago I had ducks and chickens in the same run. I had a kiddie pool for the ducks. The chickens never used it.