Bored chickens

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Now that the ground is frozen, my chickens want to come inside. So I let them, once. They just snooped around. They're not hungry. I think they're bored!

I don't think they're too cold, this morning I picked them up, checked their combs and feet, each one of them was warm to touch and shows no evidence of frostbite, and under their feathers they are each warm to the touch. They appear to be fine, in every way. So, I doubt they're trying to come in for warmth.

And it's obvious they're not wanting my food, they just picked at what I offerred and proceded to jump on the couch, look in the mirrors, etc....

Anybody have tips on what a small flock of backyard chickens can do these next few FROZEN months? They're used to foraging through the 100ftx100ft yard a lot.
Here's their outside setup:

And Here's where they like to hang out, in the yard full of chips and leaves, but today its frozen pretty solid:

I know they are spoiled pets, please forgive me. But I enjoy them a lot, they give me a lot of laughs, Very Much Needed Laughs. Has anybody found ways to keep them happy through the frozen wintertime?

 

[ChickenCat]

Hang a head of lettuce for them to peck at. I give mine a bat of hay either in or outside (depending on weather) for them to dig and eat through. They enjoy that.

 

[OkChickens]

I still have a pumpkin that they are going after! They just love to eat the seeds and goo inside! apples are good to!

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

I see they have a skateboard, I would have thought that would be exciting enough.

We put old tables/chairs and whatever in the coop to give them different heights to try out. We move the furnishings around to keep them on their toes. Hanging a cabbage or lettuce head is entertaining for them also.

They are just going to have to weather the boring winter like the rest of us.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

...yeah, that skateboard got put away for the winter...We could install their OWN tv for music videos, so they won't keep begging to watch ours:

Or give them a hooked-on-phonics cd, so they can learn to read to each other while the kids are in school;

 

[abhaya]

I give mine straw to dig around in. I toss scratch or boss or grapes whatever into it so they dig and dig looking for treasure. You can try hanging cabbage or something mine like digging in the straw better. I will even go a bait store now and then and get then some bait they love that. I toss it in the straw so they have to dig. Even when the treats are gone they keep digging looking for more. hope this helps.

 

[Delta3013]

Mine love it when i put stands out there for them to jump on. Also when I give them a multitude of fruits and veggies.

 

[eggboy]

If you want to let your chickens inside you'll need to get diapers for them otherwise they'll poop everyewhere.

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

Maybe you could have a scavenger hunt or something. Every day before you open the coop, hide some treats in strange places for them to find.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Quote:
Thanks! I went out yesterday and bought a golden, fluffy bale of straw from the local feed store. I made a lean-to for a little shelter, tossed in a scoop of their favorite sunflower seeds, and OH NUTS THAT #!@$*! SQUIRREL BEAT THEM TO IT!

Dang squirrel. He's so aggressive. They try to fight him off but it looks like he would eat one of them.

Well, at least it wasn't boring. Now they have something to gossip about. If I were $loaded$ I'd buy a bunch of hardware cloth, hire a handyman and have a squirrel proof run installed. I bet that's what they're gossipping about, wishing they could keep that darn squirrel away.