Tips For Keeping Small Livestock Cool in the Summer

Summer is here, and so are the heat advisories!

When the weather heats up, it's not always easy for animals to stay cool. Here are some easy tips that you can do to make summer a little easier for your livestock.

Shade

One of the easiest things to implement is shade. A shaded area can easily reduce the temperature by 10 degrees or more. Adding a shade sail or artificial shade can reduce heat stress when the temperature spikes.

Ventilation

Along with shade, ventilation is key to maintaining a cool temp. By strategically opening doors or implementing fans to create air circulation, you can keep any inside animals more comfortable. ]

For small animals like rabbits, consider moving their cages outside for the summer. We recently moved ours outside, and they are much more comfortable. Rather than sitting in still air, they are able to take advantage of a cool breeze.

Treats

Along with clean water, providing treats is a great way to add some extra vitamins and minerals. Our sheep love squash, berries, zucchini, and carrots. Our rabbits enjoy carrots, squash, and plenty of timothy hay. These treats, in moderation, help keep energy up during a heat wave.

Hydration

Drinking Water

Hydration, hydration, hydration! Encouraging water consumption is crucial to avoiding heat stress. Animals naturally drink more water in warmer temperatures. Checking water multiple times daily or providing more water might be necessary in a heat wave. Ensuring that clean, fresh water is available will ensure that birds are consuming more water.

Treats

Some favorite treats around our coop include mealworms, squash, and strawberries. For our chickens, freezing these treats in some water will provide an enrichment activity while simultaneously cooling them down.

For our ducks, we add the treats directly to their water with some ice cubes. This cools the water down and encourages swimming.

Ice Packs

An easy trick to quickly cool down rabbits is to refill an old water bottle and freeze it. I keep two per cage and rotate out during the hottest parts of the day. The rabbits will lay against the bottles allowing for a cool break from the heat.

Extra Vitamins

Adding electrolytes to water for rabbits and sheep ensure that they are getting more out of their water. For chickens and ducks, apple cider vinegar is a great additive with extra minerals.

Signs of Heat Stress

Chickens and ducks can’t sweat and you will often see them panting if they are too hot. If you notice this, make sure they have plenty of shade and consider spraying with a light mist. Wetting the ground around them will also provide a cooling effect.

What are some of your favorite tips and tricks for keeping your stock cool? Let us know @thedewberrypatch!