How do you keep chickens from getting bored in winter?

[Dinornis]

My hens don't like going outside (it's currently snowing where I live), and seem rather bored inside their coop, even when they are allowed to go outside they don't. To make matters worse, one of our poor wyandottes was pecked to the point of blood release (I don't know if that's boredom or not). Does anyone have any tips?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Do they have a secure covered run that is attached to the henhouse that they can go in?

 

[Dinornis]

Do they have a secure covered run that is attached to the henhouse that they can go in?

Not covered, but they do have a rather large run, which divides them from the goats. There's a little exit door on the run they can run out through if they want

 

[SueZ 24]

I often put ears of corn in my coop during the winter because it gives them something to peck at and the corn is high energy so they get more fat to help keep them warm.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Might not practical for everyone or all situations, but I go out and shovel. Last year for about 3 weeks my flock had to make do with maybe 40-50 sq ft of cleared walkways in the run, but it was enough to keep them from going stir crazy from hiding inside the coop.

 

[aart]

To make matters worse, one of our poor wyandottes was pecked to the point of blood release (I don't know if that's boredom or not).

That is definite something to be concerned about.
How many birds in how big of a coop?
Dimensions and pics of coop, inside and out, would help here.
Lots of space and places to perch in the coop is important.

Might not practical for everyone or all situations, but I go out and shovel. Last year for about 3 weeks my flock had to make do with maybe 40-50 sq ft of cleared walkways in the run, but it was enough to keep them from going stir crazy from hiding inside the coop.

I too shovel out part of the run, and have a sheltered space out there that stays dry and mostly wind free.

the corn is high energy so they get more fat to help keep them warm.

Corn doesn't have fat

 

[R2elk]

My hens don't like going outside (it's currently snowing where I live), and seem rather bored inside their coop, even when they are allowed to go outside they don't. To make matters worse, one of our poor wyandottes was pecked to the point of blood release (I don't know if that's boredom or not). Does anyone have any tips?

You can toss them a "flake" of alfalfa to dig through.

 

[Acre4Me]

[QUOTE="aart, post: 21938959,


Corn doesn't have fat [/QUOTE]

It has some fat content. However, most people look to it for carbs to give them energy, keep the metabolism going. Then, if extra calories, they make fat which provides energy storage.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How do you keep chickens from getting bored in winter? One way is to give them room or possibly improve the quality of the room they have. I don't believe it's boredom, but shoehorning them into a tiny space sometimes leads to behavioral problems like cannibalism or physical assault. How would you feel if someone were in your personal space all the time? What you describe could be because of lack of space. That's why how many hens you have and how much space are important information. Some idea of what the coop looks like can help. We love photos. The more we know about your situation and what you have to work with the more likely we can offer suggestions that actually apply to your situation.

One way to improve the quality of the space you do have is to give them things to hide under, behind, or above. It often helps a lot if they can get out of line of sight of each other. If your coop is pretty small you may not have much flexibility to do this.

I assume the only time this happens is when they are trapped in that coop for a period of time. They often don't like snow, at least for a few days. They don't like change and waking up to a white word is a big change. When that happens to mine they usually won't leave the coop for a couple of days. Mine forage as I have a lot of room outside that stays in vegetation, some sticking through the snow. So they have a reason to go out. If all yours have is a barren run they may not have that much incentive to go out in that strange white stuff. Shoveling might be an option to get them out. Or you can try scattering bedding on top of the snow. I think it helps if you use the same bedding they are used to. A strange bedding might be as foreign to them as snow.

You can try to distract them with food. They are not going to eat all the time, their crops only hold so much. Plus you still want treats to be a minor part of their diet. Most of what they eat should still be their chicken feed. Depending on what kind of bedding you use, it might be effective to scatter something they have to scratch for. They seem to like scratching.

Another issue in winter is that they don't like a cold wind. It's not just snow that keeps them in. Mine go outside even at zero Fahrenheit as long as it is pretty calm, cold doesn't bother them. You don't necessarily have to have windbreaks all around your run, though that's not a bad thing as long as they have enough openings up high for ventilation. Providing some wind breaks can make a big difference in them wanting to go outside. Mine often go to a corner formed by the coop and a wooden gate to get out of the wind.

Snow will blow in from the sides, not just from straight above. The best way to improve the quality of your space is to provide a snow-free area protected from wind in the run that they can get to.

I'm doing some guessing as to what might be your problem, it could be something else. I don't know what your coop and run look like, it may be real challenging to do much of this. But what you describe is often the result of them being too crowded.

Good luck!

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Not covered, but they do have a rather large run, which divides them from the goats. There's a little exit door on the run they can run out through if they want

If you can cover at least part of it, and block the wind, they will have a bit more non-snowy area to hang around in, and get away from each other.

And hey, Vermont! I’m in Windsor County. We have a (very quiet) Vermont thread - you should introduce yourself!