Donkey farrier, Koren, was over last week to trim some little hooves and happened to tell me about another of her clients making carrot ice cube discs for her equines. In the blasted heat. Shazaam! An outstanding idea.
My first attempt used a bowl that took up too much room in the freezer, but was chosen for its large bottom surface. And it was plastic making for easier removal (disclaimer: I've been slowly eliminating plastic storage from the kitchen but this big bowl remains).
I popped it out into a donkey bowl and at first no one took much interest. Until I sprinkled a little grain on top. (you can see it's still whole at this point)
The clever one in the group, surprisingly it was Luigi, took his paw and poked at the disc, conveniently breaking it into more manageable pieces, and exposing a little more of the carrots. By the way, I intentionally made it rather thin so the donks could see/taste/smell the carrots more easily.
And now the interest builds. More heads came into the bowl. Oh, yes, rest assures, four heads can fit around one bowl if the treat is captivating enough.
So now there are two setting up in the freezer -- smaller bowls but still lots of carrots.
I will pass this little treat recipe along to my daughter, I'm sure her 'girls' will love it.
ReplyDelete~Jo
What a brilliant idea - The lengths we go to to keep our animals happy. Once they got the idea, they must have loved it on such a hot day. I have done things like that for my chickens when it's hot and also for amusement ,,, like putting frozen peas in their water or ice cubes. There has only ever been one girl that loved the ice cubes, the others wont go near anything strange (way too scary to have anything out of the ordinary!!) Bless them ... they're worth it!! Kind regards, Louise S, Cheshire.
ReplyDeleteLouise, have you found any other treats your chickens enjoy? Mine seem hooked on fruit, but not veggies as much. And do you put anything in their area for entertainment?
DeleteLouise, have you found any other treats your chickens enjoy? Mine seem hooked on fruit, but not veggies as much. And do you put anything in their area for entertainment?
DeleteHi Janet. My girls go mad for dried mealworms, but I only give them a handfull a day as they are full of protein (they are good for them, but in moderation - don't want them getting too fat!!). Daily they have shredded cabbage, chopped up tomato and apple). They like a bit of banana. If I give them bread (which they love), I just give one slice with a little bit of cod liver oil a couple of times a week. I believe cod liver oil is good as it helps absorb calcium - but again as it is a fat, it is given only in moderation. Their special "treat" is a scrambled up egg (with egg shell crushed up as well). Any eggs we use I keep the shells and put them in microwave for a couple of minutes and them when cool crush up (again, a good source of calcium). AND THEN ..... there is the wonderful fish food sticks that are supposed to be for the pond fish. Husband can't feed his fish without treating them (they'll chase him around the garden for them, they are THAT good. Overall, VERY spoilt girls indeed!! In their run they have a perch and 2 low tables that they like to sit on and preen. They have made plenty of holes in the ground as dustbathing is just the best feeling ever. Oh and on entertainment I hang up cabbage as it seems far more interesting to them that way. So really it is just homemade entertainment but I like the look of some of the chickeny things you can buy. Oh and a slice of water melon goes down a treat at the moment! Kind regards, Louise.
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