Brooder boredom?

[serenityNH]

Hello!

I am concerned my chicks might be bored in the brooder? They are 17 days old and are getting very active so my question is....How much 'entertainment' should they get?

I have been treating them with hard boiled eggs, also meal worms and crickets but that fun is gone in about 30 seconds, I have put roosts up for them which they do seem to enjoy and I let them out of their brooder to sit with me and run around a few times a day. Also since the weather has been so warm I have been taking them outside to play in the grass for 30 minutes or so.
Is this enough fun, should I be putting something in there for them to continuously be pecking at like a seed block? I have read the stories about chicks pecking at each other due to boredom and don't want anything like that to happen.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[mszekely]

It sure sounds like you are doing all the right things!
As long as they have enough room to move around and sleep without getting stepped on, and are warm enough/cool enough I'm sure they will be fine.

 

[WallTenters]

It sounds like they're doing fine, and I agree with the previous poster's comments. The only suggestion I could make is once our chicks get to be a couple of weeks old I add a little "sandbox" in their coop. Just a box of dirt or sand, I put little seeds (parakeet seed mix is good, or I use flax seed, etc.) in there, some grass, ect. They love pecking around in it, dustbathing in there, the works. It's their little chickie playground!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

My chicks loved the baby cakes, I think they're made by farmers helper. They hang right in the brooder and the chicks have to work at them because they move around as the chicks peck it. To me it sounds like you're doing a great job. Good luck!

 

[serenityNH]

Thanks!! Good idea on the sandbox and I will have to look into the baby cakes

 

[MattMansChickens]

if the weather is nice, use some chicken wire to make a temporary run for the chicks. they can be outside for a few hours then