Chickens, ducks and turkeys are wonderful, resilient and sweet creatures, but on a 36°C (96.8°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 (chicken) and Quilly (duck) enjoying half of an ice block.
Making an ice block is as easy as placing any freezable treat in a container full of water and placing it in the freezer, which is why it's so ingenious.
For a container I used an old Turtles tin and it works great because it doesn't matter how much poop and duck slobber gets on it.
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
-Horsetail
○Parsley
•Lavender
○Carrot tops
•Coriander / Cilantro
○Tarragon
-Pigweed / Fathen
•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 (chicken) and Quilly (duck) enjoying half of an ice block.
Making an ice block is as easy as placing any freezable treat in a container full of water and placing it in the freezer, which is why it's so ingenious.
For a container I used an old Turtles tin and it works great because it doesn't matter how much poop and duck slobber gets on it.
Here are some ideas: (scroll if on mobile)
| Item: | Kinds: | Benefits: | Substitute: | Medicinal: | Prep: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass | Kentucky bluegrass, crabgrass+ | Easy to access | Dandelion, any weed | Yes, high in vitamins & helps with upset stomach | Chop (opt.) | Make sure it's SPRAY FREE |
| Stinging Nettle | The one that hurts lol | Very easy to access | Plantain, Dandelion (yes even the flower), Chickory, Duckweed, Chickweed, Pigweed | 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 or just dry using no heat and away from sunlight and if you want you could grind it. | Make sure you prep it and that it's spray FREE. If you get stung remember the sting is medicinal (it helps with joint & muscle pain) |
| Squash /Pumpkin /Gourd | Heirloom, Bottle gourd, Spaghetti , Butternut+ | You might grow them anyway | Melons, fruits | Depends on variety, very filling and nutritious | Chop/Slice, remove peel (opt) | choosing a nutritional variety, such as a heirloom is always good |
| Berries | Blackberries, Blueberries, (technically bananas) Strawberries+ | Very easy to buy frozen/ process yourself | Anything small | Depends on where they're grown and what kind | None or chop, whatever you want. | Frozen berries works well |
| Oyster Shell / Egg Shell | Flaked oyster, crushed oyster, your eggshells+ | 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 | Bananas, Apples, Pears, Paw paw, Watermelon, Honey dew | Stores well | Veggies, Berries, Greens | Depends, but usually are. | Maybe chopping or peeling | Don't go too crazy since most commercially produced fruits have more sugar than vitamins such as bananas and strawberries |
| Vegetables | Squash, Carrots, Cabbage, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Cauliflower | Perfect for the gardener with a big yield | Fruit, Berries | Yes, especially if you grew it | Maybe chopping and peeling. Food processors work well. | Very yummy!!! |
| Herbs | Rosemary, Yarrow, Horsetail, Thyme, Wormwood+ | Healthy chickens / birds | Healthy flowers / Any good weed | Yes, but if you grew them and dried them yourself then definitely | Perhaps chopping | Using fresh or dry will be great |
| Grubs | Live or dried | Happy Chickens | ... | A lot of protein among other things | ... | How could they resist? |
Some herbs good for chickens are:
•Yarrow (not sprayed)
○Rosemary
•Oregano (only sometimes)
○Wormwood (short periods)
•Thyme
-Horsetail
○Parsley
•Lavender
○Carrot tops
•Coriander / Cilantro
○Tarragon
-Pigweed / Fathen
•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.
