Anyone put toys in the coop? Is it a good idea?

[JimWWhite]

Sometimes I'll hang a head of iceberg lettuce on a string and my gals will make a lettuce pinata out of it. Warning, stand back when you let it go!

 

[ChookHappy]

Quote:
LOL Mine showed me a big ol wing

and proceded to bang the gong...

 

[jojo54]

Great ideas! I can't wait until next garden season to try some of the hanging stuff out.

 

[BorderKelpie]

My little Serama roo, Charlie, likes to peck at his parakeet toys. Even my doves get toys. I think all critters should at least be offerred something to do if they're confined. Now that winter is here, my DD's and I will start making toys for everyone again. It gives us something to do when it's too cold to go outside and all the birds of all species get new goodies.
Get creative and have fun.

 

[twentynine]

Never seen a chicken play with "toys".

Not a soccer ball, toy firetruck, remote control airplane, rubber ducky, pick up stix, rubic's cube, tin can on a string, toy soldiers, not nothing. Now if you chunk somthing in the coop that they can eat, but that ain't playing that's eatin. And mine don't play around when they is eatin.

 

[lngrid]

Quote:
Someone here at BYC said that chickens recognize food by visual cues rather than olfactory (smell) or gustatory (taste). If they don't come across a food when they're learning what's good to eat, they won't recognize it as food. Maybe you can teach them about the suet by putting a softened glob on their beaks to try? Heck. I don't even have chickens, so I don't REALLY know what I'm talking about. I'm just repeating what I've read here. Part of my learning process.

 

[ChookHappy]

Quote:
Someone here at BYC said that chickens recognize food by visual cues rather than olfactory (smell) or gustatory (taste). If they don't come across a food when they're learning what's good to eat, they won't recognize it as food. Maybe you can teach them about the suet by putting a softened glob on their beaks to try? Heck. I don't even have chickens, so I don't REALLY know what I'm talking about. I'm just repeating what I've read here. Part of my learning process.

Yep me too. I do recall someone mentioning something about that. I'll have to buy another one and throw some into a bowl and see what the results are. My mom has tons of woodpeckers around her house so I brought her the suet bricks and a feeder to "experiment" with.

 

[Amethyste]

When I first put the flock blocks in the coop, you would have thought from their expressions that I had put a loaded bomb in there instead of something yummy.

I ended up going back to chick days with them and tapped the daylights out of the block with my finger and making the "bok bok bok bok" noises that they make when calling them to eat something good.

They all came in and looked at me like I was nuts! LOL

But after a few minutes, I broke off a little piece and offered it to Mercedes and she nibbled it. Once she tried it everyone did.

Just took time and me looking like an idiot boking at the girls and using a finger to peck the food lol. I am so glad my DH wasnt home to see me doing this...I would never have lived this down lol

The things I do for them!!!