Cold fruit as a treat in the heat

[Ahava]

I subscribe to a couple of chicken newsletters. One of them said to give chickens something like cold watermelon for treats in the heat, and in NC we've been having some pretty hot weather lately. We gave the ladies a chunk of cold melon and they LOVED it. I have two questions for you.

1. How often should we give fruit? I don't want to give them diarrhea and create a bigger dehydration problem than we're trying to avoid.

2. What kinds of hot weather treats does your flock love?

 

[Sjisty]

I give my guys watermelon twice a week in the summer. They absolutely love it! I also give them frozen corn (I do thaw it out a little bit) once a week. Other than that, I just make sure they have plenty of clean water and shade.

 

[Ahava]

Ah, slightly thawed frozen corn! Great idea! I guess they would also enjoy chopped frozen peaches, baby lima beans, etc. Thanks for the idea, Sjisty.

 

[Sjisty]

You're welcome! Don't try mixed vegetables, though - I tried it once. They ate the corn immediately, then after a while ate the beans, but I found the peas all over the ground!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I agree, a few times a week and not a lot either.

Mine love: grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, cucumbers, strawberries. Watermelon really helps because of it's high water content - keeps them hydrated.