It’s summertime and the bright sun shines hot on the chicken run! There are so many things you can do to help your chickens stay cool in the summer, but here are some of the most important things.
Keep Your Chickens Healthy!
Chickens can handle cool/cold weather much better than they can handle warm/hot weather. Make sure your hens (and roosters) have plenty of shade they can lounge in. I put 2 extra waterers out during the summer because they need to stay hydrated, and I make sure the waterers are in a place that’s always shady. Chickens can also suffer from overheating, so if your chicken seems to be acting tired, uninterested in participating in the activities the other hens are doing, or is not showing normal behaviour whatsoever, the chicken may be showing signs of overheating, which can lead to disease and illness.
Tips to Keep the Coop Summer-Proof
Oh, Rats
(CC BY-SA 4.0)
Summer and winter are when rats and other predators thrive. Make sure your coop is secure. If you find a hole in the floor/walls of the coop, there are two reasons this could happen:
1- if a rat has chewed a hole, the hole will be round but uneven around the edges. I owe all I’ve learned about getting rid of rats to the Backyard Chicken Project!
2- if your coop has wood rot, which is very unlikely in the summer, because the main cause of wood rot is the wood being too damp for too long and most summers are pretty dry here where I live and probably for most of you too. If you want to prevent that, look at winter chicken care posts on any website and they just might have some tips.
Flies Away!
[CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D
https://www.thepioneerchicks.comRaising Happy Chickens posted an awesome article about getting rid of flies. No flyswatter needed! Just use lavender. Hang bunches of it in your coop. It is pretty much a natural fly repellent! Lavender has more calming properties, too.
Summer Feeding
A summer feeding FAQ:
Should I feed my chickens lots of protein?
No. Digestion can create internal heat, which can lead to your chickens overheating and this can cause problems.
Should I feed my chickens lots of fat?
Again, no. Fat takes a long time to be digested and if it stays in the digestive system too long, it will produce too much heat. Another reason is that chickens try to stay cool in the summer and layers of fat isn’t going to help them do that.
Should I feed them carbs?
Chickens get as many carbs as they need within their regular food, so don’t go overpower with too many noodles, bread or general grains. Don’t get me wrong: Carbs are an important part of a chicken’s diet and provide much-needed energy. But with too many carbs comes too much heat.
Summer Treats
The most exciting part: Some great summer treats for your chickens!
Chicken Popsicles
These popsicles are made of nuts and seeds, which provide protein, so as mentioned earlier, don’t go overboard and don’t feed these to them every day. These are for special occasions.Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup wheat flakes
- 3 cups oatmeal, cooked
- 3/4 cup dried apples, chopped small
- 1/2 cup uncooked oat grotes
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped small
- A cup or so of water
Mix all but the water together, until well blended. If the mixture is very dry and won’t stick to itself, add water until it does so. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop balls of the mixture onto a cutting board, container, or bag.
1- Minute Treats
Watermelon Yum!
Ingredients:
- Watermelon, any amount
There are many ways you can do this. If you don’t want to waste a whole slice of watermelon, eat it first and toss the chickens the rind. You’ll find that even if you don’t, they love the green part! They’ll eat it till it’s paper-thin. Another way to do it is to cut fresh-from-the-fridge watermelon off the rind and blend a few slices up without the rinds. Watermelon Smoothie! They’ll love it on a hot day. OR, just feed them any combination of sliced and unsliced watermelon! (Except for a whole watermelon.)
Hydrating Fruit
Ingredients:
- blueberries
- strawberries
- cherries
- apples
- pears
- cucumbers
- watermelon
All of these keep your chickens well hydrated during the dry summer!
Herbs
Most herbs are high in the nutritional vitamins and minerals that will keep your chickens healthy. Mint, rosemary, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, cilantro, black pepper and garlic are a few herbs that you can serve freely to your chickens, as long as they’re in small doses.
Ingredients:
- Herb of your choice: A few leaves or the main part of the herb that is usually used
- Ice
Blend both ingredients. If it seems extremely cold, let it sit for 2-5 minutes because extreme cold can send a chicken into shock. You now have chicken iced tea! You can also just sprinkle a bit of an herb into their feed occasionally
“Some of my favorite summer time herbs include parsley, dandelions, violets, and mints.”
https://www.thepioneerchicks.com
Thanks so much for reading and I hope you are educated and ready to care for your chickens this summer!
Sources:
https://www.thepioneerchicks.com
https://www.backyardchickenproject.com
https://www.raising-happy-chickens.com
Chicken Life: Caring for Chickens 
