chickens acting up probably kinda bored

[Sobek]

I don’t believe anyone is trying to give you “stupid textbook” answers. They are giving you the advice of experienced chicken keepers.

Now if you choose to come and ask for advice then you can take or leave any advice as you so choose. But I don’t believe there is a reason to be rude and suggest that other members advice is “stupid” or “textbook”.

Most people are likely not raising chickens the way you are choosing to as it sounds very unusual. So the advice you will get will most likely be based on THEIR experiences and my not suit your needs.

I guess I don’t understand what more anyone could do to help you aside from making suggestions. Maybe you could do a little Google research for caged bird raising?

just because someone has "experience" doesn't mean they always know what's best. I'll choose to let it go but please don't comment if you're going to argue with me thanks

 

[Sobek]

Hi, i just wanted to say i am sorry if anything we said was insulting or know-it-alish. I think like everyone here when we dont have all the facts and our imaginations have to kick in, we jump to the wrong conclusions or mistake a situation that as you say is pretty unique.
Everyone that responds here is a lover of chickens in some way and when you proclaim your love of your birds , i understand it in my heart.
Now about those containers. I dont know your location or what your seasons are like but here in northern michigan in the spring early, i start these buckets. I plant flowers and sorry they dont look to good right now, but i use them to hold down my tarp. I have no time for weeding so i plant thru a tarp.
i had to rush out with my camera after your last post and show you what i do with the buckets.
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Well most people insult me because of how well I treat my chickens. They don't realize my chickens are my emotional support animals and I gain a lot from the close bond I have with them... I will lay outside with my chickens all the time they know me for being a part of their flock. People will insult me all day saying "uh the scientific behavior of a native american fowl... blah blah blah I have over 10 years of experience and I'm a scientist who blah blah blah." Sometimes people can have so much "knowledge" they overlook so much. most people here simply don't dive into the psychology behind a chicken... They may have experiencing raising chickens but just don't know what it's to actually be apart of a flock of chickens... to for the lack of a better word be a chicken and learn their behaviors on more of a 1 on 1 level... It wasn't anything you said I've just been reading comments on a few different forums that don't really ever help it's just the usual same thing about the same things... Very abrasive answers. I almost feel like people dedicate so much time to answering questions on forums they lose their passion their just quick to answer. I am more so referring to some other forums with the same type of issue. It really wasn't anything you guys said here. I explained more about the situation when people needed me to clarify.. the only time they can get direct sunlight is when they're in cages outside which they don't exactly seem to mind but I want something better for them.... But the only alternative for making a run will be places on concrete which isn't what I want for them... So I thought about maybe putting trays down with grass or something like that.. I ONLY threw the thing about textbook answers because I wanted people to reread what I was talking about to avoid giving me answers that wouldn't help me with my unique housing situation... it REALLY wasn't anything you guys said I just have some bad experiencing with people insulting me and so forth I'll done rambling hope you understand

 

[Kale Chips]

That is totally understandable! I don't blame you one bit...I totally spoil my chickens and of course sometimes get weird looks sometimes but you just gotta keep on going! I am so glad that you have found that chickens are awesome emotional support animals! They truly can be a huge blessing with whatever you are going through. I think sometimes there is a huge difference in what people expect from people who chicken keep. Like, some people think they are only animals and should be treated like one, whereas some more tender people give animals love and care and affection and are able to see that animals have their own personalities and have little preferences and quirks. Don't feel discouraged if people make unkind comments about your chickens and such, because they don't know what you know, and so they can't understand it! We were simply trying to help, and I apologize for anything coming off as rude, snarky, or condescending. We value you as a fellow chicken keeper and wish you and your chickens all the best!


P.S. I know these might be ideas you have already heard, but I have heard that chickens have fun looking into a mirror, or you could hang a cabbage using a bungee cord so it bounces when they peck at it! Ohh....something I just thought of: purchasing crickets at the pet store and letting them loose so that they can chase them around and eat them!!

 

[Sobek]

That is totally understandable! I don't blame you one bit...I totally spoil my chickens and of course sometimes get weird looks sometimes but you just gotta keep on going! I am so glad that you have found that chickens are awesome emotional support animals! They truly can be a huge blessing with whatever you are going through. I think sometimes there is a huge difference in what people expect from people who chicken keep. Like, some people think they are only animals and should be treated like one, whereas some more tender people give animals love and care and affection and are able to see that animals have their own personalities and have little preferences and quirks. Don't feel discouraged if people make unkind comments about your chickens and such, because they don't know what you know, and so they can't understand it! We were simply trying to help, and I apologize for anything coming off as rude, snarky, or condescending. We value you as a fellow chicken keeper and wish you and your chickens all the best!


P.S. I know these might be ideas you have already heard, but I have heard that chickens have fun looking into a mirror, or you could hang a cabbage using a bungee cord so it bounces when they peck at it! Ohh....something I just thought of: purchasing crickets at the pet store and letting them loose so that they can chase them around and eat them!!

honestly... My chickens probably wouldn't chase crickets lol maybe they would... I launched a wind up toy heart/car at them and they were pecking it but idk they're very calm and tamed lol they wouldn't even help me fish out tadpoles when it flooded.. but they sure ate them when I caught it

 

[New2Chicks97]

just because someone has "experience" doesn't mean they always know what's best. I'll choose to let it go but please don't comment if you're going to argue with me thanks

Please know that I was not trying to argue with you. Rather I was trying to point out that people are trying to help you by giving you advice based on their experiences.

I don’t have any advice to suggest because I have never had caged indoor birds. My chickens live outside so the things I do to keep them occupied wouldn’t work for you because they are things that only work outside.

Maybe this could give you some ideas:
https://www.beautyofbirds.com/keepyourpetbirdhappy.html

 

[Sobek]

Please know that I was not trying to argue with you. Rather I was trying to point out that people are trying to help you by giving you advice based on their experiences.

I don’t have any advice to suggest because I have never had caged indoor birds. My chickens live outside so the things I do to keep them occupied wouldn’t work for you because they are things that only work outside.

Maybe this could give you some ideas:
https://www.beautyofbirds.com/keepyourpetbirdhappy.html

They're not caged indoor persay. They have 500sqft to themselves lol they're only caged when I want them to get in the grass and direct sun... it's a weird setup and I'm worried about keeping them happy... so I wanted to create toys and try to keep them occupied to simulate foraging

 

[rosemarythyme]

Once again with no photos of either set up we can only imagine what that means, you even mention it's an unusual set up, so it's impossible to help without being able to see what could be improved or added onto. 500 sq ft should be plenty for 4 birds but what else is in the pen area, what's outside of it, how much time do they get in it... and where are they and what's the living situation when they aren't in the pen?

 

[townchicks]

So, from what you are saying, the chickens are living indoors, correct? There is no outdoor run, so to protect them outside you use a dog crate, correct? So, you want them to be able to act like chickens, and scratch and forage, but need suggestions for indoor foraging, correct? I'm thinking, you could throw down a sheet or large blanket on the floor. Get a cardboard box about seven to ten inches tall, grab a shovel and fill the box with dirt. Mix in some scratch and mealworms and put it in the middle of the blanket. They will have a great time digging and flinging dirt everywhere. Later you can flip up the sides of the sheet and pour the dirt outside.

 

[Sobek]

So, from what you are saying, the chickens are living indoors, correct? There is no outdoor run, so to protect them outside you use a dog crate, correct? So, you want them to be able to act like chickens, and scratch and forage, but need suggestions for indoor foraging, correct? I'm thinking, you could throw down a sheet or large blanket on the floor. Get a cardboard box about seven to ten inches tall, grab a shovel and fill the box with dirt. Mix in some scratch and mealworms and put it in the middle of the blanket. They will have a great time digging and flinging dirt everywhere. Later you can flip up the sides of the sheet and pour the dirt outside.

Thank you so much for the advice ))) my chickens are going to love you for it lol

 

[Peppercorngal]

My suggestions are 1) give them a box of dirt so they can take "dirt baths", 2) make a "chicken swing" and 3) hang a head of cabbage for them to peck and "play with".