Chickens, ducks and turkeys are wonderful, resilient and sweet creatures, but on a 36°C (100°F) day sometimes I worry a little bit since I know that the heat is harder on them than the cold 
.
But when I give them an ice
popsicle block filled with greens, fruits, crushed eggshells, peas, berries and healthful flowers / herbs I know they'll be perfectly cool and entertained!
Ombré and Quilly enjoying half of an iceblock.
Making an iceblock is as easy as placing any freezable treat in a container full of water and placing in the freezer, which is why it's so ingenious.
For a container I used an old Turtles tin and it works great, it doesn't matter how much poop and duck slobber gets on it.
[Remember that not all herbs, fruits vegetables and leafy greens are safe for chickens. Please do research before feeding them to your chickens. Some examples include: Avocado, Green potatoes and dandelions sprayed with round up.]
Here are some ideas: (scroll if on mobile)
Some herbs good for chickens are:
•Yarrow (not sprayed)
○Rosemary
•Oregano (only sometimes)
○Wormwood (short periods)
•Thyme
○Parsley
•Lavender
○Carrot tops
•Coriander / Cilantro
○Tarragon
•Hops (no, not the beer)
○Plantain (detoxifies the body)
•Comfrey (heals wounds)
○Burdock leaves
And more!
This could become an art form but it's really easy and you can use almost everything from what's in your freezer to what's voluntarily growing in your front yard.
This is the Dandelion (you can harvest the flower too) and grass I harvested to make the block with. I also put some poplar leaves in because the ducks like them.
The way I like to do it is to leave half of the plant matter in the bottom of the pan and slowly add blueberries, blackberries or whatever fruit I'm using in layers and then sprinkle some ground eggshell on top.
Then when I'm happy with it I just place it in the freezer and then it's there for the next hot summers day.
One beautiful treat for beautiful birds. Chickens won't care how good it looks, only how it tastes!
As you can see it's quite easy to do.
Feel free to share any great cooling treats you use, or any ideas.
I will continue to add ideas and pictures as the hot days roll in. Have fun!
Angel perching on the stump with a crop full of strawberries.
.But when I give them an ice
popsicle block filled with greens, fruits, crushed eggshells, peas, berries and healthful flowers / herbs I know they'll be perfectly cool and entertained!
Ombré and Quilly enjoying half of an iceblock.
Making an iceblock is as easy as placing any freezable treat in a container full of water and placing in the freezer, which is why it's so ingenious.
For a container I used an old Turtles tin and it works great, it doesn't matter how much poop and duck slobber gets on it.
[Remember that not all herbs, fruits vegetables and leafy greens are safe for chickens. Please do research before feeding them to your chickens. Some examples include: Avocado, Green potatoes and dandelions sprayed with round up.]
Here are some ideas: (scroll if on mobile)
| Item: | Benefits: | Substitute: | Medicinal: | Prep: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass | Easy to access | Dandelion, any weed | Yes, high in vitamins & helps with upset stomach | Chop (opt.) | Make sure it's SPRAY FREE |
| Stinging Nettle | Very easy to access | Plantain, Dandelion (yes even the flower) | Very, one leaf is higher in vitamin C than 3 oranges, calcium, iron, and more! | To remove stingers boil, turn over an open flame, stir fry | Make sure you prep it and that it's spray FREE |
| Squash /Pumpkin /Gourd | You might grow them anyway | Melons, fruits | Depends on variety, very filling and nutritious | Chop/Slice, remove peel (opt) | choosing a nutritional variety is always good |
| Berries | Very easy to buy frozen/ process yourself | Anything small | Depends on where they're grown | None or chop, whatever you want | Frozen works well |
| Oyster Shell / Egg Shell | It's already in your home either way! | Yes, has calcium and helps them grind their food | Crushing the eggshells (if using) | They love it, and it's very easy to sprinkle in | |
| Fruit | Stores well | Veggies | Depends, but usally are. | Maybe thawing them or chopping | Don't go too crazy  |
| Vegetables | Perfect for the gardener with a big yield | Fruit | Yes, especially if you grew it | Maybe chopping | Very yummy!!! |
| Herbs | Healthy chickens / birds | Healthy flowers / Any good weed | Yes, if you grew them and dried them in large form then definitely | Perhaps chopping | Using fresh or dry will be great |
| Grubs | Happy Chickens | ... | A lot of protein | ... | How could they resist? |
Some herbs good for chickens are:
•Yarrow (not sprayed)
○Rosemary
•Oregano (only sometimes)
○Wormwood (short periods)
•Thyme
○Parsley
•Lavender
○Carrot tops
•Coriander / Cilantro
○Tarragon
•Hops (no, not the beer)
○Plantain (detoxifies the body)
•Comfrey (heals wounds)
○Burdock leaves
And more!
This could become an art form but it's really easy and you can use almost everything from what's in your freezer to what's voluntarily growing in your front yard.
This is the Dandelion (you can harvest the flower too) and grass I harvested to make the block with. I also put some poplar leaves in because the ducks like them.
The way I like to do it is to leave half of the plant matter in the bottom of the pan and slowly add blueberries, blackberries or whatever fruit I'm using in layers and then sprinkle some ground eggshell on top.
Then when I'm happy with it I just place it in the freezer and then it's there for the next hot summers day.
One beautiful treat for beautiful birds. Chickens won't care how good it looks
, only how it tastes! As you can see it's quite easy to do.
Feel free to share any great cooling treats you use, or any ideas.
I will continue to add ideas and pictures as the hot days roll in. Have fun!
I've heard it's even better than dairy since it had MCT (Medium Chain Tryglicerides (hopefully I spelt that right)) in it which is a fancy way of saying healthy fat, energy and protein.
