# Cooling your livestock



## jnrdesertrats (Jul 3, 2010)

We have had chickens for a few years now and keeping them cool in the 110 degree plus summer temps is tough. We went from manually wetting down the area to a cheep rainbird timer. The problem is that in order to do any good we end up with a big nasty puddle. I have tried various sprinkler heads and even tried making my own.

I stumbled onto a hose mister/fogger that is working great so far. It cools but saves on water and no puddle. I have the timer set to 4 times a day for 5 minutes. Maybe someone else can benefit from this as well.

Here are some links

https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/category/s?keyword=wa-dr-610

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OWMWX2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

We have been using a mister for our chickens for over a year now to keep them cool. Last summer I posted pictures of our soaked chickens enjoying their mister and pool. I'd love to figure out a way to run the mister on a gravity feed system rather than off the hose bib and city water.

As for the pool we use a 3ft kiddie pool with 2-4 inches of water in it. Our hens will jump in and stand in the water to cool themselves. I have seen some pins on Pinterest of people putting cinder blocks or bricks in the kiddie pools for their chickens to stand on but mine don't mind being wet the way most do.

We also use deep large totes for water troughs during the summer months. I toss blocks of ice in them to cool the water down. I do this for the dogs as well.

I also make chicken peck-sicles. I freeze kitchen scraps and when I have a lot I dump them in a bread pan and cover with water. I freeze the pan and give it to the birds once frozen. They peck the ice for the scraps and end up ingesting tiny bits of ice and water while doing so. Again Pinterest shows people using a feed pan full of ice and water with sunflower seeds. They drink while pecking the floating seeds.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Shade, I can't say it to many times, shade, drops the suns intensity by 10 degrees. I experience it every time I bale hay.. Moisture, even in the ground goes a long way, mist a lot at night so the moisture doesn't evaporate during daytime sun .... I know it's difficult in the California desert.  Wish you the best...


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Cotton said:


> Shade, I can't say it to many times, shade, drops the suns intensity by 10 degrees. I experience it every time I bale hay.. Moisture, even in the ground goes a long way, mist a lot at night so the moisture doesn't evaporate during daytime sun .... I know it's difficult in the California desert.  Wish you the best...


I have shade cloth on the top of our run. It really does help.


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## jnrdesertrats (Jul 3, 2010)

Grimm
I must have missed your post last year. We do have good shade for them. There is huge camo net and afternoon shade from a tree.

As far as freezing their food I think I will tell just them I did. They are stupid and won't know the difference. LOL


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

I've run a mister through our large Glory Bower for several years. It's a great shade shrub and a perfect hangout of the birds during those hot Texas summer. The Guineas fly up into the branches and the hens nestle down under it. The leaves are large, the flowers aromatic, and the branches are low enough to provide shade throughout the day. We call it the Butterfly bush because it's usually covered with butterflies and the hummingbirds and bees also enjoy the flowers as well as the mister. The temperature is usually 10 to 15 degrees cooler under it.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

jnrdesertrats said:


> Grimm
> I must have missed your post last year. We do have good shade for them. There is huge camo net and afternoon shade from a tree.
> 
> As far as freezing their I think I will tell just them I did. They are stupid and won't know the difference. LOL


The pictures I posted were of my "mud" covered hens rolling around in the puddles. It was funny to see. They are the weirdest bunch of birds I have ever seen! They even stand out in the rain unless it is a cold rain.


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## LastOutlaw (Jun 1, 2013)

I set up a mister as well and they love it but our chickens won't use a pool. They drink out of it but won't get in it. They are young and dumb though...also pretty chicken!


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

LastOutlaw said:


> I set up a mister as well and they love it but our chickens won't use a pool. They drink out of it but won't get in it. They are young and dumb though...also pretty chicken!


Try the brick/block trick in the pool. The bricks/blocks will soak up the water. Then the moisture will evaporate from the top and cool the surface. I have seen chickens stand on them to cool their feet in the heat. If you start with a small amount of water in the pool it forces them to climb in verses perching on the edge to drink. They may discover they like the cool feeling and hang out. Then you can increase the water level to a couple inches.

Mine would rather stand in the water but then they are odd birds. Yes, they still drink the water but I try to clean the pool every other day. When I cleaned the pool the other night I found an egg in the water. I thought ducks only did that!

Our youngest pullets watch the older girls standing in the pool and have followed suit. I thought I was going to have to add some bricks this summer but I guess not. It all started with placing the hens in the pool one by one with an inch of water in it. They seemed to like it and continued going in on their own.

These are not my girls but this is what a chicken pool party looks like...


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

And here is what the brick trick looks like for those hens that refuse to get in the pool...










This is a a "peck-sicle"


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## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

My wife takes a lot of joy in hosin a pig down.


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