Chicken Toys

[nuts4hotwheels]

This may sound funny but... What can I do to entertain my chickens? Do they enjoy playing with anything? Would they enjoy a something to perch on outside in there run like a post or large rock?

 

[redhen]

Hang a cabbage in their run.. they'll go nuts..

 

[Akane]

Mostly chickens like food. Cabbages work well. For a few or small chickens suet blocks for birds put in a suet cage will entertain them. Larger chickens will destroy that in minutes. Some feed stores have flock blocks which are seeds stuck together in a big square. That lasts my free ranging chickens several months. A few people make their own larger suet or healthier versions of the flock block. Various types of scratch or sunflower seeds can be thrown on the floor. Piles of weeds from the garden also entertain them.

In the brooder a few edible flowers and sticks can really entertain chicks. Here's some of mine with a cholla cactus branch and a nasturtium flower

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/aqh88/chickens/brooder/?action=view&current=SANY0708.flv

I had one batch that were feather picking like crazy until I just threw a stick in there. They were too busy pecking at and walking on the stick that they forgot about picking for several days and never took it up again.

 

[matthewschickens]

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/happy_hen_treats.html

 

[fldiver97]

In addition to food/treats to keep them busy you should try some thick branches to roost on, a tree stump or anything else to jump on, perch on. I let mine 'take apart' a bale of straw during winter so they would be busy scratching and not get too bored while they refused to go out (can you tell - they don't like snow). The occasional cup full of mealworm scattered in the run is also popular when they can not/ will not go in the yard, sometimes just some veggie scraps or dandelions I pulled. And a spot for dustbaths. Either just a corner with dirt or a container (like a litterbox or lid of a trash can etc) filled with dirt/sand.