Chicken entertainment ideas

[Hoytman]

First, would suggest not giving scratch till later in the day. Their feed should be primary. Then they can get scratch as a distraction later in the day. We find our chickens are self entertained early in the day, and don’t need a distraction early. Besides, if you ever let them out to free range, scratch rattled around in a container while you say something like “chick chick chick” or whatever, is an excellent way to get them to come running back to and into run to get at that scratch (aka: chicken junk food).

Get head of cabbage, screw eye bolt into stem end and hang it. Chickens really like cabbage, and will peck at it to eat.

Hay/straw/leaves to scratch through.

Can you put up any thing to block direct line of sight in run? This gives picked on chickens a way to get away from a bully. Prop a pallet up against fence or wall, put in a crate or piece of plywood, etc. Add a roost of some kind in the run to give another area to hang out. Add an unbreakable mirror they can see “more chickens” and be distracted.

Good luck

Great ideas! I have some plywood pieces, a pallet, a mirror...oops...not unbreakable...but will get one...and will get the cabbage too.

I am going to build a wire platform or two and also some roosting areas...which I had and removed when I started building the roost box. If you look under my avatar at "My Coop" page you will see where I placed the 3x3x8 roost box...you won't see a picture of it yet because I haven't taken any photo's yet. However, you will see where I placed it...and extension of the white plywood on the north wall of the kennel...you'll see I put a piece of plywood over the dog entrance hole. That is where the roost box is...up off of the ground and goes to the ceiling. Just imagine a 3'Hx3'Dx8'L box up off of the floor and attached to the ceiling. The birds have full run under the roost box and I have room to build a wire platform there to give them an additional 24 sq. ft. of run space...plus I have ideas for other roosting bars/poles etc., all without having to take up additional floor space. That's one nice thing about having nearly 7' of height to deal with. This coop is semi-permanent...meaning next spring I'll use the panels you see in my coop and add them to a much bigger coop and run.

 

[chickens really]

Pecking can be caused from imbalance in nutrition too. If your feeding too many treats daily it's diluting the daily balance they need.
Cut back on all treats and only give treats once or twice a week in small quantities. What breed are you raising and what feed are they getting including protein percentage of the feed.

 

[Bamabexchicks]

We like pinatas: was suggested on this site Use an eye bolt as a way to hang cabbage or other treats

 

[aart]

Beware of using 'food' as distraction/enrichment.
2x2's and branches for roosts, logs, stumps, pallets leaned against wall or up on concrete blocks, grazing frames, old table/chairs/benches, flakes or bales of straw/hay.

 

[dalasgalas]

We hang an old iceberg lettuce pinata from the ceiling. They bop it around all afternoon until it falls to the ground.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Be careful of mirrors. I set one up for mine and they thought some other chickens had invaded their territory and pecked at it quite aggressively and seemed agitated. Someone here had warned me and I watched them for a couple days to make sure they were ok with it but they weren't. That said, some chickens are fine with them and some ignore them. Just watch to see how yours are with it.

 

[Acre4Me]

Great ideas! I have some plywood pieces, a pallet, a mirror...oops...not unbreakable...but will get one...and will get the cabbage too.

I am going to build a wire platform or two and also some roosting areas...which I had and removed when I started building the roost box. If you look under my avatar at "My Coop" page you will see where I placed the 3x3x8 roost box...you won't see a picture of it yet because I haven't taken any photo's yet. However, you will see where I placed it...and extension of the white plywood on the north wall of the kennel...you'll see I put a piece of plywood over the dog entrance hole. That is where the roost box is...up off of the ground and goes to the ceiling. Just imagine a 3'Hx3'Dx8'L box up off of the floor and attached to the ceiling. The birds have full run under the roost box and I have room to build a wire platform there to give them an additional 24 sq. ft. of run space...plus I have ideas for other roosting bars/poles etc., all without having to take up additional floor space. That's one nice thing about having nearly 7' of height to deal with. This coop is semi-permanent...meaning next spring I'll use the panels you see in my coop and add them to a much bigger coop and run.

Looks great! Nice to have a block building to start with and concrete pad. BTW, the digging predators already hate you and your crafty concrete ways.

 

[Hoytman]

Looks great! Nice to have a block building to start with and concrete pad. BTW, the digging predators already hate you and your crafty concrete ways.

Yeah...it's working out really well.