Coping with the heat.....

We have a calima here at the moment, (suspended dust throughout the air, causing intense heat) which we get quite often throughout the year, however, trying to cope with all these animals is tough. The air is incredibly hot, and it makes everything far harder to cope with on a daily basis.

Making sure that all the animals have enough water is a huge challenge, and watching the chickens pant is odd. The first time I saw them standing there panting, I wondered what on earth they were doing, however, they really do pant. Just as a cat or dog would, they stand with their mouths open panting. Unfortunately the heat is not good for the chicks, and we often lose one or two when this intense heat hits us.

All the animals have their own way of dealing with the heat, which usually means they head for cover, lay on the floor, or stand/sit in water.  This morning I was reading the best ways to help cool the chickens down, and the drastic measures people have gone to for their feathered friends. It never ceases to amaze me what people will do for these animals.

One website was selling air conditioning units and fans for chicken coops! Now I love animals, but I feel this is one step too far, and not a route I will be going down. Therefore, my chickens will need to be happy with the extra water, the sprinklers going on for longer, and the trees to hide in and cool down. If they want more, they may need to take advice from Peppa who sits in her water trough to keep cool, or diablo who lays on the floor for his power nap.