
In the past, we put up shade tents in the goose & chicken pen. The shady grove on the other side of the house, however, is doing a much better job of cooling down the animals, and much less expensively. Every shade tent we put up last year got torn to shreds by the high winds. The oaks and cedars have no such problems with the breezes.
The animals all gather, and share the cool space with very little squabbling. They only leave the area if they get hungry, and once fed, head straight back to the grove. The geese stand in the pools, letting the water cool them down via the bare skin of their legs. The chickens keep a respectable distance from the geese, but will often lay close to wherever the dogs are. The dogs - heavily furred - have a knack for finding the coolest patches of soil. The Southwest wind blows hot, but the shaded area is a moderating force, along with the misting hoses. Everyone sleeps during the hottest part of the day, including myself.

[Pics: top: geese in the pools - the shade covers the area more fully after morning passes. Bottom: Frau sleeping with Bandit.]
LOVE Redneck Mother - watched the vid again, just because it's so cute. :-)
ReplyDeleteNow, how long have you lived in Texas? You really think it's going to cool down anytime soon? I'm thinking mid-October!
ReplyDeleteHCH - hope (idiocy?) springs eternal ;-)
ReplyDelete