Chicken keeping in the summerChicken keeping in the summerWith temperatures hitting over 45 celsius most days we have had to try and do all we can to make all our chickens comfortable as they are struggling with the heat.
We have noticed they will not drink warm water and they will definately not move out of their shady hideaways to drink so we have to keep topping up and moving the water containers around the garden to wherever the shade and the chickens are! We have also started adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to their water as we read somewhere this helps make the eggshells stronger . Finally we now freeze their water bowls overnight and add frozen pop bottles during the day so the water stays cool for them. We are constantly adding many more shaded areas to garden for the the feathery creatures to rest in so why, oh why, do they keep taking up residence in our porch and living room?? We leave the doors open for the dogs and Percy to come and go but quite often we walk in and find several chickens in Percy's cage or just crashed out on the floor, they are never impressed when evicted back to where they belong.........outside! If not relaxing in the house they are out enjoying a mud bath, they seem to spend an equal amount of time doing both. Our dog Max has dug a couple of rather large craters that he enjoys cooling off in but these days he has to share them with any number of chickens! He is often "evicted" from "his" craters when they all start scratching and shaking sending soil everywhere. All our surplus fruit and vegetables from the garden are being fed to them, initially we were cutting it all up in to small pieces but soon learnt this was a mistake as it dried out too quickly in the heat, also, as we replace last year's unused fruit and vegetables from the freezer we throw it out for them and they love pecking away at these semi frozen treats. We mistakenly thought the winter would be the toughest time for our chickens, how wrong we were!! "Not all those who wander are lost"
Re: Chicken keeping in the summerThe apple cider vinegar is very good for their digestion & protecting against bugs & things but I remember someone advising (Manda I think) not in give it hot weather as it actually inhibits calcium absorbtion rather than helping it.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
Re: Chicken keeping in the summerMy lot will drink warm water, they drink from the garden pond, the surface water can be pretty warm.
I have an old car tyre leant against the fence, that is a favourite drinking spot for the chickens and the local jackdaws. Initially it was just a piece of junk waiting for the tip, but it filled with rain water, now I keep it topped up. Luckily the back of the house is in shade for most of the day. I also have a garden table that is currently covered in branches cut off the conifer bushes. It makes a leafy cave that they love to sit under.
Re: Chicken keeping in the summerI too have read that apple cider vinegar should not be given when it is hot. Maybe that is why they don't want the water. I give my girls things like melon that have plenty of moisture and mash so that as well as pellets they are getting some extra water and frozen peas in a little water. They are cooling and give a little extra water along with the peas. Also plenty of shady spots for them.
My chicken blog: http://www.carolschickens.com/
Re: Chicken keeping in the summerI give mine watermelon whenever I can pick it up cheap from the shops, but my go-to favourite is sweetcorn dipping. Tinned sweetcorn in a tub of water - they are forced to get their heads wet, and therefore cool, if they want those delicious kernels! It works a treat and is dead cheap. Mine turned their beaks up at peas.
If acv is no good in summer you could try adding nutridrops, or even better if it's the calcium you want feed their eggshells back to them ground up. Mine have a little pot in their run and they love helping themselves just before bedtime. I roast the shells first and them smash them up in a mortar and pestle until they are grit-sized. Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell Chief servant to Marley the cat Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey. Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper Re: Chicken keeping in the summerThanks, the replies have some useful information for me.
I understand (after consulting Mr Google) that apple cider vinegar is still okay in the hot weather but in smaller amounts so we have reduced the quantity given. Egg shells are being collected, baked and crushed then given back to all the chickens. I spoke to soon about the hot weather as we have just had some of the most violent storms ever at one stage the gusts of wind were so strong that the chickens outside were being picked up and thrown across the garden, several were even pinned against the fence by the wind. We both have some serious bruising from the massive hailstones that hit us when we had to dash out to collect up the birds and place them all into lockdown in their coops. Luckily no injuries to them just some rather shellshocked and dazed birds. "Not all those who wander are lost"
Re: Chicken keeping in the summerOh my godnes that sounds like hell Trev, for the birds even more so! I have an image now of cartoon chickens being pinned to the fence
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell Chief servant to Marley the cat Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey. Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
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