Frozen chicken treat for a hot day (super easy!)

It's been ridiculously hot this summer. The unreal kind of hot that makes you want to just lay in the air conditioning and not move. Unfortunately for chickens, that's not an option. Since summer is here to stay, I had to figure out a way to keep the chickens cool in this extreme heat. 

I decided to make them a frozen treat that used up some of the excess produce in my kitchen and garden. 

Before giving chickens treat you might want to check this list of foods they can't have. Most everything humans eat is ok for chickens with just a few things you'll want to leave out including one that can normally eat, AKA corn! You should absolutely not feed chickens frozen corn in summer. More info down below!

Helping the chickens stay cool

One of the biggest problems in summer is dehydration which makes the heat so much more unbearable! People can remember to drink extra water, but animals usually don't drink more than they immediately need. Sometimes, they have to be tricked into it.

Luckily I have a plan for that. I just freeze some treats in a container of water so as they pecked and ate, they got some added hydration! A homemade chicken treat that's cheap and easy to make!

I put pieces of shredded lettuce, fruit, some veggies, a few pieces of cat kibble and some bird seed in a large Tupperware container with some crushed ice (to separate it) I added cold water and froze it till it was solid. 

When I took it out to the chickens they started pecking it as soon as I set it down. I finally got it flipped over and out of the container.

The chickens attacked it again, I barely got a picture! They loved it and finished it in a matter of minutes. It was great to give them a cold treat on a hot day. I'll be making this for the flock on all the really hot days now! 

Frozen chicken treat

I should add that in my usual 'frugal style' I use all fruit and veggies that were no longer fit for for human consumption. The outer leaves of a head of lettuce, a tomato that had gone soft, the last few bits of a bag salad, mushy blueberries, some grapes that started bruising on the stem ends...you get the idea. 

You could also use leftover cooked veggies. That's a win-win situation, leftovers get used up and the chickens get a cold treat!

I made a new batch using one of those extra large ice cube trays that were in all the stores last year. We had just carved a watermelon so I trimmed away some of rind, added some blueberries that were getting mushy and a few tomatoes that were way past their prime.

I also used the watermelon juice in this set. You know how when you cut a bowl of watermelon, after it sits awhile there is a bunch of juice in the bottom of the bowl? I used that instead of water in this set and they seemed to like it even more!

These large cubes are also great for chickens that don't want to share, since they can each get their own!

I've also seen fresh herbs added which is a great idea if you have them on hand! Whatever you decide to add, I'm sure your flock will really appreciate a batch of frozen treats on a hot day!

Related reading: Make frozen yogurt & fruit treats for your chickens in summer!

I spend more time than I should on social media and lately I've noticed that people are giving their chickens frozen corn to help cool off which is a major no-no in summer!

Feeding corn to chickens in summer

Corn is often used as a winter treat for chickens because it's nutritional profile is mostly carbohydrates with a good amount of sugar. The carbohydrates come from fiber and starch which provide energy when metabolized. 

They metabolize very quickly and create heat when digested. Heat is the last thing you want chickens to be producing during hot summer days!

Think about it...everyone throws extra scratch grains to their chickens in winter to 'help them warm up' right? Scratch is high in corn. How could corn possibly help them warm up in winter but still help them cool down in summer?

Add to the fact that most people are using canned corn which has added salt and excess salt can cause dehydration during summer! All together this makes canned corn frozen treats a bad idea! Instead, use pieces of fresh fruits and other vegetables like beans, carrots or peas in the molds and feed them to your chickens instead.

This is just one of the ways I help my chickens stay cool in summer. It gets into the 90s regularly here in Pennsylvania. How do you keep your chickens cool during the summer?

~Lisa

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