Hot Weather Mash

[MommaG2023]

In my area it has been ridiculously hot for Spring. Today it is a lovely scorching 77 but feels like 80. That is normally our early summer temps and we are all feeling the heat...especially my pullets and cockerels. To cool things off and let my babies have a treat I whip up a hot weather mash. It isn't anything more than crumbles and scratch and very cold water with several ice cubes to keep it cool. My Chickies LOVE it! Also they seem to cool off and pant less for a little while after. Does anyone else make hot or cold weather treats for their Chickies? If so what and how often do you give them their treats?

 

[NatJ]

I whip up a hot weather mash. It isn't anything more than crumbles and scratch and very cold water with several ice cubes to keep it cool. My Chickies LOVE it!

I've done an even simpler version: crumbles and cold water (no scratch, no ice cubes.) Yes, very popular with practically all chickens!

I've used almost the same thing in winter too, just with warm water instead of cold water.

I've also used pellets instead of crumbles. The pellets take an extra minute or two to swell up and fall apart, but the final mash is the same either way.

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

In my area it has been ridiculously hot for Spring. Today it is a lovely scorching 77 but feels like 80. That is normally our early summer temps and we are all feeling the heat...especially my pullets and cockerels. To cool things off and let my babies have a treat I whip up a hot weather mash. It isn't anything more than crumbles and scratch and very cold water with several ice cubes to keep it cool. My Chickies LOVE it! Also they seem to cool off and pant less for a little while after. Does anyone else make hot or cold weather treats for their Chickies? If so what and how often do you give them their treats?View attachment 3521113

Mine loves watermelon and frozen fruit, I live in Europe so it doesn’t get more than 90 degrees where I live but frozen fruit is always a hit in my coop, the frozen mash you have made is a really good idea and I might try that when it gets hot here
When it’s cold I feed mine oatmeal that’s slightly warm with some good vitamins In it

 

[MommaG2023]

Mine loves watermelon and frozen fruit, I live in Europe so it doesn’t get more than 90 degrees where I live but frozen fruit is always a hit in my coop, the frozen mash you have made is a really good idea and I might try that when it gets hot here
When it’s cold I feed mine oatmeal that’s slightly warm with some good vitamins In it

I toss a few pieces of banana at them but haven't tried the frozen fruits...they seem to avoid most people food though...which is weird to me but they love to try and eat the paper plates the food is on lol

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Like @NatJ and @Australorpfamily I do the mash with cold (technically cool) water - comes out of my tap about 64 degrees year round - then serve as an oatmeal like consistency. Really seems to help with the heat (90s all week, lows overnight in the high 70s/low 80s.)

Plus the regulars - plenty of shade, plenty of ventilation, plenty of fresh clean water (cool again) and accepting that they just wont be active during the day. Too hot for most critters, myself included.

 

[BonnieBlue]

I have been doing an "extreme" version of cold mash.

I use a cookie dough scoop, and place several scoops of mash on a cookie sheet in my freezer. To cool my (one month old) chicks down, I give them a couple of the scoops of frozen mash. The love it frozen, and don't even wait for it to start thawing. They won't eat frozen fruit, but they would probably shank each other for the frozen mash.

Given it has been in the upper 90's, with over 120 heat index, I am doing everything I can to help them stay as cool as possible. This part of the equation is popular with them!

 

[Sally PB]

I've looked at what's in electrolyte mixes. Aren't all of those things in the feed anyway? What is the point of adding more?

Thought I read it somewhere (here on BYC) as a good thing to do when there are temp extremes...?

I never looked at the ingredients versus what's in feed. Interesting. Now I'm curious.

Sometimes, I mix the mash using kombucha tea, for extra probiotics.

 

[MarlaMac]

I put ice cold water in the crumble. The girls love it - they flock to the feed dish when I bring the cold water. I wish our hot was your hot, we just experienced an early heat wave - temps to 108 with feels like of 116.

I do the same in winter, but with warm water. I also make Crumble Cake in for them to enjoy in the winter. It is basically crumble, water, olive oil, eggs, a pinch of baking soda and blueberries. They go crazy for this.

When temps get this crazy here, I also give them watermelon that has been chilled in the freezer for a bit. Cools them down and keeps them hydrate.

 

[Exhibitionhouse]

I just use their crumble with water added. At this point, the way they come running, I need to start singing the ice cream truck song!

haha yess!

 

[BoiseJoe]

I am only allowed 6 chickens in the city, but here’s what I do to spoil my fuzzy butts.

I like to leave some red on the watermelon rind for them when I cut one up. I then cut it up into about 2”x5” pieces and freeze them in a plastic bag. Then I take out 3-4 pieces and put it in the run for them. They love it.

The other thing I do is put some strawberry hulls and apple cut into chunks (cored out first ) and drop them into a storage container that has a lid. I add water to about 1/2” of full and freeze them. Then I pop them out and give them to the chickens like a big ice cube. My granddaughters call them chicken popsicles when they get to give the chickens one.

I’ve also frozen whole pickling cucumbers and given them to the chickens They love all of these. Especially this week , where it has been 100+ here in boise.