It turns out that chickens need a lot of the same things that we do during the summer. Essentials like water and shade can make their coop less stressful. By giving them a bit of extra love and care during this time of year, they'll provide you with the number of eggs you need in return!

Water

Just like us, chickens need plenty of water in the summer – it takes ten ounces of water to make one egg. They don’t care for warm water and they won’t come out of the shade to get it. Change out their water in the morning and the evening, and even at noon if you can.

And just a tip – add a tablespoon or two of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to their water. It has much of the same benefits for them as it does for us, and it also helps them retain calcium, which will make the eggshells stronger.

Provide Shade for Your Chickens

Provide plenty of shady areas by using tarps or even the picnic tents.

Oh, and if you have a barn and your girls are loose, don’t be surprised to find them in there.

Add a Fan to Keep Chickens Cool

Your coop is kind of tough – it’s critical that it’s warm and cozy in the winter, but it needs to be cool in the summer. Open up the vents and set up a fan so that it’s blowing through and keeping a breeze going.

This will also help keep the coop ventilated and smelling a little less chicken-y.

Hose Down the Coop

Running cold hose water over the roof of the coop will help cool it down. You can use a mister, too.

Remember that chickens aren’t fans of being wet. Shade such as trees is a good thing to keep in mind when you build your coop.

Dirt Bath

It keeps their skin and feathers clean and helps prevent parasites. Diatomaceous earth and sand make a great combination, so put it in the shade so that they can cool down while bathing.

Feed Your Hens Correctly

Since they have a harder time maintaining their body temperatures than we do, we need to give them a little help by eliminating corn from their scratch.

Also, make sure that they have plenty of oyster shells or crushed egg shells and grit in addition to good quality layer feed.

One tip – if your hens get fat, they may quit laying, so keep an eye out for that too.

Decrease Stress in Your Hens

Make sure their water is cool, try to keep the noise down in the yard, or at least keep them fenced off from it and give them a place to go (probably the coop) to relax.

Refreshing Treats and Scratch

There’s very little that humans eat that chickens can’t. For some reason, people are often surprised that we throw the steak and burger scraps to them, but they do love meat.

And then there are the fruits and veggies – cucumbers and watermelon are two good ones, but leave them whole to keep the water in longer. Oh, and you can always freeze the scratch, too.

Choose the Right Breed

There are several breeds of chicken that are particularly suited to hot weather.

Summer does present numerous unique challenges for hens that aren’t just free-range laying in the wild.

Do you have any other tips for getting chickens to produce more eggs in the summertime?

Article Source: Survivopedia