Do Chickens Get Bored???

[Chicklette 1]

I save my grass clippings from the lawn and freeze bags of it for the winter and now that I have no grass left in the pen, I will use the clippings in the summer also. It freezes very well and stays in the frig a long, long time. I love being able to give them fresh grass in the winter.

 

[Martin Grove Farm]

I believe that they do get board. My chickens are used to going where they please. During winter months we have to close the doors on the barn. They still have freedom of the whole barn but not as much access to outside. I find that this is the time when most fights start up. I give them a whole cabbage or two to roll around and pick off of. I also will toss in a basketball that is over-inflated. Just make sure that there are no loose strings on it. They love to roll these things around the coop and it takes their mind off of being board and fighting with each other. It has worked for me, you may want to give it a try.

 

[medtec113]

I just asked mine and they said that they do not get bored...they are only chickens

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
You might be interested to know that any greens you can eat, the chickens can also enjoy. Anythign from cabbage to lettuce is fine - so almost any season can provide green feed for the birds.

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

I let my chickens free-range out of the run always unless I'm not home or there's a nearby raptor. Their favorite activities in the run are preening and eating. They also sometimes dustbathe, but normally they just sit in front of the door waiting for me to let them out.

I've heard of people who hang treats (like lettuce) from the top of the run so that the chickens can jump and bite off pieces so that they don't get bored, though.

 

[gsim]

I tried growing grass thru plastic mesh. Thought it would work too, but it did not. I did build them a 1900 sq ft run tho. It has 3 trees, 4 perches, and access to part of the underside of the 8 x 16 coop. That helps. A cabbage pinata is great because it can last all day easily and just gets bobbed all around more than eaten. It you stake it down in my run, it will disappear like time-lapse photography.

I believe that the more space they have and the more things to piddle around with, the less fighting and bullying you will see. I have no problems like that at all in my flock either inside the coop or out in the run. I presently have 21 hens. One is crippled and has to hop everywhere and she is just one of the girls in my flock.

Gerry

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
In the olden days, 500 chickens per acre was considered saturation density. That's 87 sq. feet per bird.. MINIMUM.
How many offer that?

Under more crowded conditions, we might be confusing boredom with over population.

 

[phantomthebantom]

I don't know if chickens get bored but i suppose they won't if you play with them alot.

 

[froggiesheins]

Do chickens get bored....Hmmm.....I have 2 Serama hens sitting on my PC table either pecking on the keys or jumping all over me,playing with my earrings,glasses hair or sitting on my hands.....bored....not at my house.......

The 4 outside chickens have a run with "educational toys" in there.....hee hee flower pots, roosts, overturned broken chair, and lots of loose dirt that I hide food in. Every few days I move things around to keep one up on em. I love the look on their faces: "HEY what did you do here?"

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Chickens, like all birds, are inquisitive. They will poke, prod, and peck at anything in the hopes that it is edible. Whether they wonder about our motives, remains a mystery.