Bored Birds

[Runt of the Flock]

Hey all,

Having problems with bored chickens in the winter picking on each other? I know I do!My ladies seem to think it's so much fun to pull feathers out of each others neck and run around with it in their beak. They play a game, the goal is to get as many feathers and then run from the three or so hens that chase them. If they get caught, the hen gives up the feathers in their beak and someone else eats them. But, if they don't get caught, she can eat them!

Sometimes it gets brutal and you gotta put an end to it. But how? Give them something to do. Dust baths in the winter: Box with low sides, cold, clean ashes. Rids of most lice in the winter, keeps them busy! A new version of "chase": Cooped up during the cold? Pet store crickets released in the middle of the coop give them a fun task for the next hour or so, catch all the bugs! My personal favorite chore for boredom busters is, cabbage heads. Wrecking ball: my youngest (12) loves to make wrecking balls for our birds! She goes and finds her daddy's longest screw driver and makes a hole through the cabbage. The with a Popsicle stick tied to the end of some yarn, she shoves that through and makes a hanging toy for the chickens to peck at. These are just a few ideas that should help with boredom in the flock during the snow-fly season!

Some other treats for any season, chickens love it when we eat corn on the cob. Why? Well what do you do with left over cobs? Throw them in the coop! Same goes with watermelon and muss melon! They love it! Come pumpkin weather, they love it! (Don't give them any pumpkins with mold!!)

-Em

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your hens may be craving more protein. What are you feeding for a ration? If a layer birds will often end up deficient on it, especially if you are feeding anything extra. I recommend a ration that is 18-22% and limiting extras. Keep a separate bowl of oyster shells for the calcium needs.

 

[Lauren Kim]

^^^
It might not be that they are bored. In winter, it is hard for chickens to find protein because it is very cold- all the bugs are gone and all that. Chickens sometimes pick at each other because they want to eat the feathers for protein. So try feeding them a sort of protein, such as mealworms or other types of bugs. Cat food can be given to them moderately(about once a week) so they stop picking at each other. Hope I helped!

 

[Welshies]

Yes, they need 18-20% feed. Feeding layer feed to non-laying birds can harm them, so maintenance feed, grower, or all flock feed is better. Provide oystershell on the side for calcium.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Hey all,

Having problems with bored chickens in the winter picking on each other? I know I do!My ladies seem to think it's so much fun to pull feathers out of each others neck and run around with it in their beak. They play a game, the goal is to get as many feathers and then run from the three or so hens that chase them. If they get caught, the hen gives up the feathers in their beak and someone else eats them. But, if they don't get caught, she can eat them!

Sometimes it gets brutal and you gotta put an end to it. But how? Give them something to do. Dust baths in the winter: Box with low sides, cold, clean ashes. Rids of most lice in the winter, keeps them busy! A new version of "chase": Cooped up during the cold? Pet store crickets released in the middle of the coop give them a fun task for the next hour or so, catch all the bugs! My personal favorite chore for boredom busters is, cabbage heads. Wrecking ball: my youngest (12) loves to make wrecking balls for our birds! She goes and finds her daddy's longest screw driver and makes a hole through the cabbage. The with a Popsicle stick tied to the end of some yarn, she shoves that through and makes a hanging toy for the chickens to peck at. These are just a few ideas that should help with boredom in the flock during the snow-fly season!

Some other treats for any season, chickens love it when we eat corn on the cob. Why? Well what do you do with left over cobs? Throw them in the coop! Same goes with watermelon and muss melon! They love it! Come pumpkin weather, they love it! (Don't give them any pumpkins with mold!!)

-Em

Are you giving them scratch grains? Too much scratch grains can make your chickens hyper and prone to picking on each other. I also agree that they need more protein in their diet.

 

[Runt of the Flock]

im giving them 18-20%. and oyster shells. and even grinding their own dried egg shells and adding that to the grit/oyster dish. they have their feed 24 hours a day. its in a 4 ft raised trough made for chickens and i don't see anything wrong with that! this article is simply just showing off my way to keep my birds busy and treat them.

 

[Angela Thomson]

Hey all,

Having problems with bored chickens in the winter picking on each other? I know I do!My ladies seem to think it's so much fun to pull feathers out of each others neck and run around with it in their beak. They play a game, the goal is to get as many feathers and then run from the three or so hens that chase them. If they get caught, the hen gives up the feathers in their beak and someone else eats them. But, if they don't get caught, she can eat them!

Sometimes it gets brutal and you gotta put an end to it. But how? Give them something to do. Dust baths in the winter: Box with low sides, cold, clean ashes. Rids of most lice in the winter, keeps them busy! A new version of "chase": Cooped up during the cold? Pet store crickets released in the middle of the coop give them a fun task for the next hour or so, catch all the bugs! My personal favorite chore for boredom busters is, cabbage heads. Wrecking ball: my youngest (12) loves to make wrecking balls for our birds! She goes and finds her daddy's longest screw driver and makes a hole through the cabbage. The with a Popsicle stick tied to the end of some yarn, she shoves that through and makes a hanging toy for the chickens to peck at. These are just a few ideas that should help with boredom in the flock during the snow-fly season!

Some other treats for any season, chickens love it when we eat corn on the cob. Why? Well what do you do with left over cobs? Throw them in the coop! Same goes with watermelon and muss melon! They love it! Come pumpkin weather, they love it! (Don't give them any pumpkins with mold!!)

-Em

So I can cool my fireplace ashes off and put them in the tire dirt bath? I have an old tire in the pen with sand and that deo earth stuff. It's wet and nasty now...

 

[Runt of the Flock]

thats what we've done. just make sure they are a couple days cool before adding them to your coop. and i wouldn't put any charcoal pieces if it can be avoided.

 

[Hamiam]

im giving them 18-20%. and oyster shells. and even grinding their own dried egg shells and adding that to the grit/oyster dish. they have their feed 24 hours a day. its in a 4 ft raised trough made for chickens and i don't see anything wrong with that! this article is simply just showing off my way to keep my birds busy and treat them.

I caught what you were doing. Good job. I also want to add that a flake of green alfalfa hay is a great boredom buster. It has on average 16-20% crude protein & the chickens have a ball scratching thru it & eating the small green leaves. Just protect it from getting wet & it will last a while. If you don't want to share a whole flake, pick or sweep up the alfalfa leaves left over from the horse/goat bale in the hay barn & spread it on the ground for the chickens.

 

[Hamiam]

So I can cool my fireplace ashes off and put them in the tire dirt bath? I have an old tire in the pen with sand and that deo earth stuff. It's wet and nasty now...

Yes, you can. I put 2 parts ash to 1 part clean sand. (The sand helps to weigh the ash down) no need for DE. I keep thinking I will find one of those covered plastic child's sand boxes on Craig's list some day, cheap.