I know you have probably heard me say this over and over in my articles, or at least something like this: your flock’s diet is their life blood. It’s what gives them energy and keeps them healthy. And it must change and adapt based on the seasons. What your flock eats during the winter should be different than what you feed them during the summer. The reason being that their energy needs are different throughout the season. Knowing what to feed chickens during the summer will ensure your homestead flock gets all the nutrients they need to stay healthy while still keeping them cool and happy! My flock doesn’t mind going on their summer diet because it involves free-ranging and eating special summer snacks that are in season, who can complain?
Hot topics surrounding summer chicken keeping include increasing or decreasing protein, controlling fat and carb levels in the diet, and knowing what treats to offer during the summer. Each of these dietary elements have different impacts on how a chicken stays healthy, produces eggs, and stays cool during hot weather.
I will go over the research-based information I have found for feeding protein, fats, carbs, and treats during the summer. Then I will provide the summer diet guideline that I use for my homestead flock.
Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, avian dietician, or scientist. All the information in this post comes from my own research and personal experience.
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Should I Feed my Chickens Lots of Protein?
No. Protein produces internal heat when it is digested. The less internal heat that can be generated by digestion, the easier a chicken will be able to stay cool.
However, protein is essential in a chicken’s diet to help keep all the body functions working and to help fight disease. So, chickens MUST have protein in their diet. The problem that may occur during the summer is when chickens eat less feed because they are hot, which then decreases their overall protein intake.
Even though protein generates heat when it is digested, it is needed for them stay healthy during the summer months. A lack in protein can lead to health problems, a drop in laying, and a weakened immune system.
Here are some ways to overcome a summer protein deficiency without increasing the heat generated by protein digestion.
Tips:
- Offer feed only in the morning and evening, when the temperatures are cooler. The chickens can eat what they need before the heat of the day comes. A chicken’s normal feed will contain about 16-18% protein.
- Feed supplemental protein snacks in the evening, after the chickens have already got their fill of regular rations in the morning.
- Plant-based proteins are more alkaline and will help keep the body’s pH level more stable. This is important during warm weather when pH levels can get out of balance due to panting. My favorite plant-based protein source to feed my flock is sprouted green lentils.
For more tips on controlling protein in your flock’s diet, check out How to Balance Protein in a Flock’s Diet and Protein Sources for Chickens.
Should I Feed my Chickens Lots of Fat?
No. Although fat does not produce internal heat when digested, it does increase digestion time of feed. The longer feed (especially proteins and carbohydrates) stays in the intestinal tract, the more heat is generated. Also, no chicken needs extra stored fat during the summer months when they are trying to stay cool.
Fat is needed for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins, maintaining cell health, balancing hormones, and for energy. The proper amount of fat should be provided in a well-balanced ration, which can be fed in the morning and evening.
It may be tempting to decrease protein and increase fat during the summer, since once generates digestion heat and the other doesn’t. However, each element plays a specific role in a chicken’s diet, and one cannot replace the other.
On the other hand, yes, you can feed extra fat during the summer months if you know how to do it properly. Extra fat would be a good source of energy that would not generate internal heat, however, the chicken has to be burning fat, not carbs. Which means that carbs have to be limited in the diet when fat is increased in the diet. The downside is that a chicken’s regular diet is mostly comprised of carb rich foods, like grains and seeds.
Think about these things before increasing the fat in your flock’s diet during the summer.
Tips:
- When increasing the fat, you HAVE to decrease the carbohydrates. This will force the body to burn fat for energy. Instead of burning the carbs and storing the fat, the fat will be used by the body.
- Feed fat separate from other foods. Fat increases the retention time of feed in the digestive tract, which generates more heat if proteins and carbs are present.
- The hang up comes when fat-rich foods also contain protein and carbs. Choose fats that are either purely fat or have small amounts of proteins/carbs compared to fat content.
- Here are some high fat and low carb supplements you can offer: eggs, coconut oil, chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and olives
Should I Feed my Chickens Lots of Carbs?
No. Carbohydrates generate internal heat when they are digested. Extra heat is not needed during the summer months.
Carbohydrates are another source of energy in a chicken’s diet. In fact, they are often the main source of energy and make up a majority of a chicken’s diet. A well-balanced ration will provide the proper amounts of carbohydrates. To compensate for the heat generated during digestion, you should offer feed in the morning and evening, when the temps are cooler.
When you start messing with the fat portion of your flock’s diet is when you have to re-evaluate their carbohydrate intake. Since fat will need to be burned for energy rather than carbs, the carbohydrates in your flock’s diet must decrease.
A decrease in the carbohydrate ingredients in your flock’s diet can only be done if they are being replaced with nutrient rich fat-based ingredients. The bottom line is, carbohydrate replacement can only be done if it does not mess with the other nutrients in the diet (like vitamins and minerals). Even though carb energy may be replaced by fat energy, other nutrients provided by carb ingredients must still be supplied in the diet.
Reminder!
When you increase the fat, you have to decrease the carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are foods like corn, barley, wheat, and other grains. Scratch grain mixes are almost always high in carbs and low in everything else. Don’t feed your flock scratch grains during the summer months.
Should I Feed my Chickens Treats?
Yes (with some guidelines). You can still feed treats during the summer months. Just evaluate what treats you offer and when you offer them. Treats that are hydrating and nutritious are beneficial during the summer months.
It is best to feed treats in the morning and the evening, that way digestion is not stimulated during the hottest part of the day. You will also want to keep in mind the protein, fat, and carbohydrate makeup of the treats you are giving your flock.
Here are some summer treat guidelines.
Tips:
- Hydrating treats- blueberries, strawberries, cherries, apples, pears, cucumbers, watermelon
- Nutritious treats- leafy greens, sprouted seeds/legumes/grains, cantaloupe, cabbage
- Feed high protein treats in the evening- meat scraps, fish, dried bugs, etc…
- Avoid excess carbs– bread crusts, whole grain pastas, crackers, etc… (if you do have a carb treat, offer them in the morning)
- Do not feed any treats in large quantities. Chickens naturally consume less feed in the summer, but they still need all the nutrients provided by a daily feed intake. Don’t compensate some of that feed intake by providing too many treats that ‘fill’ your flock up.
Of all the summer treats you can offer, leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables can be offered more frequently. They add nutrition to the diet, are less filling, are hydrating, and are often naturally in season!
These Summer Treats for Chickens are ones that I give my flock during the Michigan summer months.
I also believe that the homestead flock should free-range as much as possible during the summer months. That way your flock can pick and choose their own natural treats and rest whenever they want. You may find it helpful to withhold feed during afternoon free-range times to encourage your flock to forage for their own food and consume most of their daily feed intake in the morning and evening.
What to Feed Chickens During the Summer
Now that you know about protein, fats, carbs, and summer treats, you are probably wondering what this summer diet for chickens is all about! It seems like a long list of can’s and cant’s that don’t make much sense!
Can’t feed lots of protein… can only feed fat if you know what you’re doing… can’t feed extra carbs… treats need to be evaluated… so what do you feed your flock during the summer?!
Here are the basics for a summer diet for the homestead flock:
- Preformulated Feed: Feed the normal layer or maintenance ration that you normally feed your flock. It should contain between 16-17% protein.
OR
- Homemade Feed: If you mix your own feed, you may want to consider decreasing the carbohydrate ingredients and increasing the fatty ingredients, but still maintain a balanced ration.
When to Offer Feed: Offer feed in the morning, take away the feeder in the afternoon, and then return it in the evening. Keep an eye on your local temperatures to determine the best time to feed your flock. This measure is most helpful for regions that experience extreme heat during the afternoon. It is often not necessary in more temperature regions.
Fresh Water: Always provide fresh, cool drinking water in several spots throughout the chicken yard. Without water, a chicken will die. Water will keep all the body’s systems working properly and will help a chicken stay cool.
No Vinegar: Don’t add vinegar to your flock’s water in the summer. You can add vegetable broth, herbs, or garlic to your flock’s water during the summer months instead.
High Protein: If you have high protein treats or table scraps, give them to the flock in the evening or late morning. Same goes for high carb treats or table scraps.
Calcium– Supplemental calcium is essential during the summer when calcium absorption is often inhibited when chickens pant to stay cool.
Treats: Stick to hydrating and nutritious treats (leafy greens, fruits). They can be fed occasionally in the afternoon unless it is an abnormally hot day.
Your Flock’s Summer Diet:
A summer diet for the homestead flock is really quite simple. Give them the nutrition that they need while still helping them stay cool during the hot summer months. Knowing what to feed chickens during the summer will help you keep your flock healthy, productive, and cool despite summer temperatures. Keep in mind, you don’t have to make any major changes which would cause stress in your flock.
The Basics:
Protein– generates heat when digested, but is essential for maintaining good health
Fat- does not generate heat when digested, high in energy but is often stored by the body because carbs are burned for energy instead
Carbohydrates- generate heat when digested, are often the main source of energy in chicken feed
- Feed them their normal rations, just pay attention to what ‘extras’ you supply.
- Hydrating, low calorie, nutrient-dense snacks are the healthiest for your flock during the summer.
- Don’t feed high energy or high carb treats, like scratch grains or bread products.
- Supply high protein supplements in the morning or evening, like dried black soldier fly grubs.
- Free-range as much as possible.
- Make sure your flock has access to supplemental calcium and plenty of fresh water at all times.
Keeping the basic principles in mind, you will be able to keep your homestead flock happy and healthy this summer. For more tips on keeping your flock cool this summer, check out 8 Ways a Chicken Stays Cool!
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by Alexa
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