chicken toys ??

[triplepurpose]

A huge pile of straw, compost, weeds, sweetpotato vines, leaves, woodchips, etc to scratch through is among the best "toys" for chickens I've ever seen. They just LOOOVE having stuff to scratch through. It reminds them of their ancient heritage scavenging in the leaf litter of the jungles of SE Asia. That's why DLM is so brilliant. Also placing rotting pieces of wood in the run--bugs will move in under the wood and you can flip them over at your leisure for some exciting chicken fun (they soon learn what it means when you flip a piece of wood, and when they see you reach down to grab one, they will gather around faster than you can say "crunchy cockroaches").

A pile of weeds and rotting leaves, free... couple pieces of rotten wood, free... hours of chicken entertainment... priceless!

 

[ChicKat]

Here's what I have

http://www.chickensforbackyards.com/Treat-Ball-from-Happy-Hen-Treats-17050CFB.htm

got it for $5 somewhere on the internet...not this seller. Has a clip on the top of the chain and a bell on the bottom of the wire ball. Good for amonth other things: lettuce, Bok Choi--- I think broccoli works too. Good exercise, kept out of the dirt fun to watch them etc.

 

[pawsplus]

I've added a few things to my girls' run based on ideas here (thanks!).

Suet cage for holding greens and such. This is red cabbage, which they barely touched. But they do love kale, and today I picked weeds to put in there, which they also love.

Cat toy ball (plastic) with kale inside:

Millet sprays hung from binder clips (nice and strong--they weren't able to remove the sprays from the clips at all):

New perches -- 2x4s attached to the 4x4 roof support, and one made from a 2x4 and 2 concrete blocks:

 

[mrchicken]

I bought them bird toys! At first they were scared but then they started playing with them.
It was so funny!

 

[1country]

I use a nylon sring and they love it . I tied it up to the top of there run and let the tip lay on the ground . they play with it all the time .

 

[fluffandpuffchicks]

I think toys for chickens are a great idea. I didn't think my hens would be mad they were in my coop with my 8 week old chicks. They werent outside cause of heavy rain and storms. We went outside to check on them-2 chicks bloody and missing feathers and 1 chickie down...

I am buying a small coop for the chicks who survived

Learn from my mistake-never leave hens alone with chicks when they cant go outside without room to play and toys to play with-it might help them... My 2 Ameraucana chicks who are alive are eating and drinking releaxing nd starting to regrow feathers!

I have 3 Rhode Island Reds, 1 California White ( her sisters got very sick...) and 2 Aemraucana chicks...
Roxy, Chompy, Midge Buffy the Worm Slayer Chul, Hermione
RIP Penny, Lucy RIP Tonks

 

[SAHMof2]

Quote:
I've not read through all nine pages yet but our local recycle centre allows for dropping off sod sections, clippings and branches. Ppl always drop off their odd sections of sod. Also a turf farmer operates across the road from me and he's always got ends and chunks in a pile he can't do much with.

HTH's

 

[SAHMof2]

Well see. I should have read through all of them. Yes chemicals. He (my neighbour) does NOT have issues using chemicals.

Nix that.

 

[fluffandpuffchicks]

This is my Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn-Buffy(white one) Chompy(brown one) eating zucchini... Buffy and Chompy are BFFS! LOL

 

[fluffandpuffchicks]

i bought papaya covered in mango flavored yogurt. my girls luv it (except for the EEs-they dont eat anything but feed-they dislike adventures lol) I buy them parakeet/parrot and birds of tht nature toys. they dont seem interesting in bells, havent tried a big mirror but they LOVE drinking out of a dog bowl.