Entertainment for your flock?

[FlyWheel]

Great ideas, thank you so much! We're getting our chicken run built atm and we plan on installing a swing. I love the idea with the stump! There's so many old, cut stumps just lying around near me... Could easily repurpose rather than letting it rot!

Actually, the logs that are rotting or starting to are probably the best kind because they are full of nutritious delicious bugs for them to peck and search for.

 

[micstrachan]

We added a swing a while back but they didn’t use it so we took it down.

Same here!

 

[micstrachan]

My run has perches and a couple stumps, plus occasionally I give them rice hulls to dig in. However, lately I have been reevaluating my husbandry, because i recently had a 3 1/2 year old active, laying hen who seemed on the thin side die from fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome and discovered a flock mate was carrying too much fat as well. These were both revealed by necropsy at UC Davis. I don’t typically give many treats to my hens (unless I have a sick one and am desperate to get her to eat), but clearly I’ve been doing something wrong. Last weekend I was alarmed at how much they were just sitting around, even when they were let out to free range all day. I’ve come to the realization that I’ve been killing my flock with BOREDOM combined with free access to high calorie feed all day long.
Awhile back I had vowed to make their run floor “living,” but had sort of forgotten. Not much life in rice hulls and pine shavings. Sooo the last two evenings I’ve been gathering up leaves and twigs and throwing them in the run. It could be my imagination, but in just a couple days of enrichment on their run floor combined with some liver support added to a wet mash, they seem perkier. I will continue adding stuff to the run floor and adding areas of interest to the run. It’s only about 250 sq. ft., so enrichment is important.

 

[Mimi13]

Awhile back I had vowed to make their run floor “living,” but had sort of forgotten.

You know, that is an excellent idea. Even though my coop has a sand litter, my run is somewhat deep litter, but it’s not as rich and “living” as it could and should be. I am gonna strive to correct this in my run as well. Thank you!

 

[micstrachan]

Hopefully if I keep adding stuff to the run floor, with a little moisture, bugs will be attracted back in. Fingers crossed! Tell us how it goes in yours!

 

[JoeInPA]

I built a "swing" for them yesterday but they don't seem to want to use it. I had a moveable 2x4 perch in there that they liked to sit on top of but it took up a lot of ground space so I replaced it with the swing which just hangs. It's about a 3 foot long 5" diameter log suspended by a small nylon ropes on either end. I hope they start using it.

I have a 2 foot long piece of 6x6 lumber just sitting on the ground in their run and they love to sit/stand/poop on it.

 

[AEG]

Yep, have seen several cases.
Tho it can depend on the type of grass, how long the clippings are, and various other factors.

Okay, this has me wondering....is it dangerous to give them handfuls of long grass? I have been doing this all summer and they love it. If there is a risk I will stop.

 

[aart]

Okay, this has me wondering....is it dangerous to give them handfuls of long grass? I have been doing this all summer and they love it. If there is a risk I will stop.

It's a possible risk...up to you to decide.
Are they eating it?
As always, Observe and Adjust.

 

[Lob21]

Here is a good infographic which I got some of my ideas from for environmental enrichment form my flock - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/environmental-enrichment-for-poultry

Do you think the link would also apply to turkeys?