Hot Weather Mash

[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.

 

[MommaG2023]

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?

I know for my guys at least, they seem to not be as hungry during the heat, which isn't a surprise to me. I do have a B12 supplement waterer I fill daily but I don't use the electrolytes unless they are chicks...I am not sure why but I stop using probiotics in their water because their scratch contains them as does their food. I suppose if I had a sick Chickie I would pop nutridrench and electrolytes. I didn't realize there are the same properties already in their feed

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

That is normally our early summer temps

'normally' is just nuts. Less than a week ago it froze overnight several days, so anyone who planted the garden lost everything. Now I have a heatwave that is normally an end of July or August temperature. My hens are very very confused. AND, normally when there is a heatwave I can give them corn on the cob that I put in the freezer a little to make cold and some very cold watermelon.

Corn at the moment is still a seed in the ground! There are no watermelons in May&June in Canada! Very sad...

 

[MommaG2023]

'normally' is just nuts. Less than a week ago it froze overnight several days, so anyone who planted the garden lost everything. Now I have a heatwave that is normally an end of July or August temperature. My hens are very very confused. AND, normally when there is a heatwave I can give them corn on the cob that I put in the freezer a little to make cold and some very cold watermelon.

Corn at the moment is still a seed in the ground! There are no watermelons in May&June in Canada! Very sad...

Yeah it will be close to 95° here in SPRING . Crazy heatwave has been in the 80s and now 90s. I sorta dread this coming summer if this is how spring is shaping up to be. Ice water bottles in the waterers and I have to go down and water their run down...seems to help but UGH!! Sorry your feeling these abnormal heat spikes up there. Hopefully it settles out to normal for both of us

 

[Australorpfamily]

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

We've done the cold mash with ice cubes, as well as ice cubes in a dog water pan(as well as their other waterers)

We've also done produce in plastic tubes with water and frozen- like a big frozen veggies treat, some fruits too. Frozen watermelon rinds with some red on them.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[dragnfli79]

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

I've just started giving mine "people" food and they're really picky lol ! So far, they love Tomatoes, Watermelon, and of all things Hot dogs !

 

[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!

 

[Exhibitionhouse]

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!

I might have to try this. What is in your mash?