Bored babies

[erine017]

My chicks are bored. What can I give them to occupy their time. I have 3 3week old chicks any idea of treats or toys. Also whats the best bedding to use? Right now I'm using corn cob bedding. This brand

also any other Advice on chicks is welcome I'm very new to this!!!!!

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Well I had a few roost in with mine they few and jumped up and down those things all day and I liked to use pine shavings but I wouldn't see why u couldn't use that and for the chick advice don't use like butter bowels and stuff like that for there food and water as they could drown and don't use news paper for bedding as u could clean it first thing in the morning and it would need cleaned again by night hope this helps and some thing else to occupy hem u could sprinkle there food through there bedding and ey could dig through Twitter to find it mine dug through it for about an hour

 

[Pete94558]

Most of my habits and preferences are because I've heard or read internet horror stories... I never had any issues due to the bedding type though. I use pine shavings now out of preference mostly. They are fairly cheap and easy to clean up. I wouldn't recommend it for any chicks under 4 weeks though because I've read that young chicks may eat the shavings which can cause their gizzard or intestines to get clogged up. I used to use straw, but someone told me that mites can multiply like crazy if I use straw; it was something about the straw being hollow and the mites laying eggs in there. The young chicks won't eat straw though. I never had an issue with mites or compacted gizzards or intestines before though. My preference is to use whatever is cheap, easy to get, and still healthy for your chickens. You should try shavings and straw and see which you prefer. My guess is that the bag of corn cob husks costs about $10/bag and lasts less than a week. A bale of hay or pine shavings is at least triple that size and costs much less.
With regards to them being bored- they should get used to it. Their day consists of pecking around for food in the grass, digging through the dirt for food, dusting themselves in the dirt once they're full, eating more, and sleeping. My suggestion is to make them work for you, not the other way around. You shouldn't have to babysit them and entertain them so much. You'll get bored of them very quickly if you do. The easiest way to get them to not be bored is to give them food, but be creative with it. Corn on the cob hanging from a string or something maybe.

If you have a lot of time to spend with them, then you can try teaching them basic commands like sit, stay, and fly away...

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I have used pine shavings since day one and never had a problem with it

 

[Percheron chick]

Give them a pie plate of dirt to play in.

 

[azygous]

At three weeks of age, they are outgrowing their brooder and will be ready to move into the coop in another week or so. Where do you live? Climate? If the days are decent, take them outdoors for a romp each day to acclimate them to cooler temps and to let them flex their wings and legs. If you have calm days in the 60s, they can handle it for an hour or so.

Many people make the mistake of being over-protective, keeping their chicks confined to a heated brooder for weeks past their "move-out" date. It's so much harder on the chicks the longer the transition to the coop is put off. Do yourself and your chicks a big favor, and get them started in that direction now.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Most of my boredom busters are treats. I'll chop up some fresh greens/herbs and scatter them over the bedding for them to hunt and peck for. Live insects always get them stimulated--favorite is 1/4" crickets...shake a few of those into the brooder and they'll run around to catch them! I use pine shavings, but I also have a litter box full of builder's sand to provide grit and material for dust baths. I had a few bricks turned on their sides for them to jump up and perch on.
I keep forgettting, but I think their next thing will be a couple nice dirt clods with grass to destroy.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

It was in the summer I had my chicks out the day they hatched and let them run were ever they wanted they loved it running around in the grass they knew to when I would take them out in the morning I would feed them and then once they ate I opened the door to there cage and they all jump out on my lap and we went outside it was to cute but now they are all grown up and my favorite one turned out to be a rooster and I gave him to the neighbors because I had a rooster for the amount of hens I had I miss him and he has only been gone for about a week

But I get to see him when we go for a ska he is out free ranging with there hens in the drive way or up in the woods by there house

 

[erine017]

Ok so I ordered pine shavings i'm going to try some grass and dirt and also maybe small cricket sound fun too
Thank you for all of your info
I hope mine are all girls I'm worried I'm in love with them already !!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Erin, how many chicks, how big is your brooder? What are you using for a heat source? Where are you brooding them? At 3 weeks, they should be to the point of having very little heat, maybe going part of the day without heat if you have them in the house. They should have AT least 1 square foot of space per bird, 2 would be better. The biggest mistake that I see is folks get baby chicks, get the brooder set up for them at the new born size and with the new born requirements, and fail to make necessary adaptations as the chicks grow. (Initially, I had a hard time with that. Now, I brood them outside in an old coop. PLENTY of room. I use a heating pad brooder, and by the time the chicks are 3 weeks old, they are flitting around like parakeets, taking advantage of the entire 4 x 8 coop and 8 x 8 run underneath it, returning to the heating pad as needed.) My last batch were content to pig pile at night with the temp in the 40's, on a cool rainy day, they'd occasionally go under it for a few minutes to soak up some heat, then back out for the rest of the day.

If your chicks are bored, I'm guessing that they need more space and an environment that lets them act like chickens. Don't forget their need for grit if you give them anything besides their chickie food. As a matter of fact, they should have grit anyways, and you can get that from your yard. (IMO) Chickens are always a learning adventure.