How to raise Backyard Chickens: Re: [CHICKENS-101] Keeping your cool about chickens.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Re: [CHICKENS-101] Keeping your cool about chickens.

Fans do cool chickens and are a vital component in broiler operations in the south. They also use misting and cool cells along with some other tricks to keep the chickens alive in blistering summer heat in the south. I raise some broilers each year and they do much better in August with air moving through their pen which is outdoors but under roof. Shade alone is not enough on a still, hot, humid day.

Mark

----- Original Message -----

From: onexyooper

To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 6:36 PM

Subject: [CHICKENS-101] Keeping your cool about chickens.

Fact one:
Chickens are not people. You cannot apply human requirements and needs to chickens. Nor can you compare any other mammal to chickens.

Fact two:
Chickens do not sweat as humans do, therefore moving air can in no way cool them. Someone said (Pete?) that you should change the air in the coop because of the higher temp inside. Good idea. Also a good idea to get rid of the bad air and replace it with fresh air. But, putting a fan on a chicken will not cool it down. No sweat, no evaporation, no cooling. Period.

Fact three: That's all I know, anything else would be speculation. I suppose hot weather conditions can cause loss in the coop. Hot weather causes loss of life. Providing your birds with shade, cool water, and fresh air is all you can do. Any more and you are doing it to make yourself feel better.

Mike
Tydden Bryn Bach