I have been doing everything I can to help keep the girls cool during the current heat wave. I change their water several times a day so that at least some of the time it is cold. I have been watering parts of the run so they have some damp soil to scratch in. Mango and Cloud have been spending time in the shelter so I have watered the ground in there to keep it cool.
I have been leaving the chicken shed door partly open at night (their run is secure and predator proof) and have watered the patio area outside the shed door and pop hole.
I have been giving the girls dishes of water with frozen peas. This helps cool them by both eating cold peas but also drinking cold water at the same time. I have also been giving them pellets in cold water. Instead of leaving the pellets to soak up the water and make a mash I have found that giving them the pellets in water straight away makes them fish for the pellets and drink the cold water at the same time.
I find that peas only last a few minutes whereas they keep going back to the pellets until eventually it turns into mash and gets eaten like that. They do have a tendency to step in the dishes and knock them over though. It’s a bit chaotic but eventually they mop up the spillage and at the end of the day I sweep the patio.
The girls really enjoy this and hopefully it helps keep them a bit cooler. I think we will all be glad when this heat wave is over.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Lucky girls to have you look after them so well. We only take Ellie out for a walk at eight in the morning. I think she is as glad as us to have the air conditioning.
We all try to do the best we can for our animals. I have been thinking that you will be so glad of your air conditioning at the moment and of course Ellie too.