Are you looking for ways to keep your chickens cool when the temperatures outside begin to climb?
Do you want to show your feathered friends a little extra love and spoil them with something yummy?
We have the perfect frozen homemade treats for chickens that not only cool them down but enhance their daily nutritional intake. Who wants to eat chicken scratch day in and out?
So, what exactly can you give chickens for a treat? Let’s take a look!
The Benefits of Giving Chickens Frozen Treats
When summer days beat down, there’s nothing more satisfying than a frosty cold popsicle. As much as we love to eat frozen treats, your chickens will enjoy it even more!
Chickens are susceptible to heat stress, exhaustion, and even stroke when temperatures go above 80 degrees (F.) Humidity and heat are a dangerous pair when it comes to chickens. When humidity approaches the ambient temperature, your chickens easily succumb to heat. You know your chickens are in trouble when they start panting.
Frozen treats for chickens on a hot day provide them a way to cool off. Additionally, your chickens will love the texture and treasures of goodies that lay within the icy layers.
Chickens are foragers. Textures in various foods, especially vegetables, provide an enriching way to enjoy treats. Can chickens eat frozen vegetables? Frozen vegetables (as long as it’s something they can have) are a great way to cool off and get your vitamins!
Different fruits are also texture-laden. Can chickens eat frozen bananas? Frozen bananas are easily digested and pleasant for chickens to enjoy.
Wikipedia discusses the importance of proper nutrition for your flock as well. You can find their article here.
We are going to give you some great ideas and tips on how to leverage frozen treats to keep your cluckers cool. It’s time to get creative!
Chilly Chicken Pops, Parfaits, & More
What frozen treats can you give to chickens? The possibilities are endless as long as you are cautious. Pay attention to things that you can’t feed to chickens.
We have an array of the best treats for chickens that’s satisfying and refreshing.
For tips on setting up your chicken coop, read our guide here.
Things You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients and tools you will need to make the host of concoctions we will dive into further below.
Muffin pan Ice tray Bundt pan Blender Rectangle pan MISC: Eggs, Plain Yogurt Sunflower Seeds Mealworms Tallow Water Salt Substitute Regular Salt Sugar Baking Soda | Mint Oregano Lavender Comfrey Thyme Parsley Sage Calendula | Berries Strawberries Blueberries Raspberries Blackberries Bananas Melons Watermelon Cantaloupe Honeydew Grapes (seedless) Apples* (no seeds) Pears* (no seeds) Peaches* (no pit) *Seeds/pits of these fruits contain toxins and should never be given to chickens. | Pumpkin (raw) Corn Cucumbers Peas (shelled) Beets (finely diced) Carrots (finely diced) Butternut Squash (peeled, finely diced) |
Frosty “Chick-orade”
When your chickens begin to show signs of an imbalance of electrolytes, give them the equivalent to a Gatorade, but frozen!
Electrolyte depletion in chickens silently kills. Eggshells become soft, the immune system weakens, and kidneys begin to fail.
Ingredients:
- ½ tsp. Salt substitute
- 1 tsp. Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Regular salt
- 1 tbsp. Sugar
- 1 gal. water
Mix all ingredients until dissolved, pour into your choice of pan/tray, and freeze.
“Spa-sicles”
Base Mix: Blend together
- 1 Gal. Water or Coconut Water
- 1 fruit of your choice (1 cup)
- Pour liquid into your choice of pan/tray.
- Add more fruit of your choice by dropping into the mixture.
- Freeze thoroughly.
- Serve to your chickens in a shady area.
Icy Herbal “Sip’n Swim”
- 1 Gal. Cold Water
- 6 cups of ice
- 1 cup of lightly muddled herbs of your choice (see below list)
- 1 cup of frozen blueberries
- Pour into a shallow/large rectangle pan.
- Place in a shady area for your chickens to enjoy.
Herbs for Chickens
- Mint: lowers body temperature of chickens.
- Oregano: antibacterial, anti-parasitic, calcium, antioxidants, immune booster.
- Lavender: calms stressed laying hens, boosts circulatory system.
- Comfrey: relieves upset tummy, aids in overall healing.
- Calendula: brightens egg yolks, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidants.
- Thyme: antibiotic for the respiratory system, antibacterial.
- Parsley: loaded with vitamins, stimulates egg-laying.
- Sage: antioxidants, vitamin-packed.
“Tallow-Cups”
- 1 cup beef tallow (melted) OR 1 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tbsp. fresh muddled oregano
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup of veggies (your choice)
- Mix all ingredients.
- Pour into a muffin pan.
- Freeze well.
- Serve to your chickens early in the day or late in the afternoon.
“Frosty-Melons”
Your choice of:
- ½ watermelon
- 1 cantaloupe (cut in half)
- 1 honeydew (cut in half)
- Wrap melon in foil and place in the freezer to freeze overnight.
- Serve to your chickens in a shady area.
Grande “Yogie-Parfait”
- 4 cups plain yogurt
- 1 cup of fruit (your choice) for blending
- 2 cups of fruit or veggies (your choice)
- 1 cup mealworms
- Blend yogurt and 1 cup of fruit together. Pour into a bowl.
- Add 2 cups of fruit/veggies and mix well.
- Pour into a bundt cake pan. Sprinkle mealworms on top of parfait and freeze overnight.
- Remove from the cake pan and serve to your chickens in a shady area.
“Egg-O-Pops”
- 4 cups scrambled eggs
- 4 cups of water
- ⅛ cup fresh muddled parsley
- Mix well.
- Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze.
- Remove from the ice cube tray.
- Serve to your chickens in a shady area.
“Punk’n Pie-sicle”
- 4 cups fresh pumpkin
- 2 cups butternut squash (peeled and diced)
- 4 cups of water
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- Blend pumpkin and butternut squash together.
- Add water and applesauce.
- Pour into a bundt cake pan and freeze overnight.
- Remove from the cake pan.
- Serve to your chickens in a shady area.
A Final “Cluck” for You!
Now you have some great recipes for frozen treats! It’s time to get busy mixing, freezing, and serving it up to your chickens. You no longer have to scour the internet for “treats for my chicken.”
As with any other foods, feed in moderation to ensure the treats are not more than 5% of the daily diet. For information on a plethora of different chicken feeds, see this article by Happy DIY Home.
Happy “chickening” to you!