how to occupy my bored chickens?

[Nutcase]

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. Took me forever to figure that one out, too.

AHHHH, now I see!

 

[azygous]

Those blue "shades" are called pinless peepers. They are used on a chicken that pecks feathers off of other chickens' necks and backs and butts. They have prongs that slip into the beak holes and they inhibit forward vision, decreasing the ability to focus on picking feathers. They aren't a 100% cure, but definitely help.

This hen has been pretty much broken of the fixation of feather -picking, so she doesn't need them any more. This picture was taken last summer.

 

[uphilljill]

Beautiful birds. Bottle looks like a good idea. Will have to try that. Thanks!

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Yeah my chickens have been pretty bored this month and I'm trying to figure out some ways to keep the busy. Great ideas so far.

 

[Going Quackers]

Mine enjoy a veggie bowl, broccoli, romaine lettuce, cucumber etc.. I also toss down BOSS and some grains for them to hunt down. There pen also has many branches to mimic trees they love flying up to them.

 

[Nutcase]

I was thinking of putting things in there for them to climb and fly on but if I'm not careful they'll use them to fly over the fence

 

[citychickx6]

I read on here someone spreading peanut butter on empty corn cobs and rolling it in scratch as a treat.
I have done it and it works great. I froze mine before taking them to the chickens so I could hang them in the run. I screwed an eyebolt in the end and hung it from a small rope.
They had to work at it to get all the goodies off.

 

[Nutcase]

Any more suggestions for chicken toys/playthings? It doesn't have to be food-related but of course if it is they'll be more attracted to it.

 

[azygous]

I place roosting perches made from three-inch pine branches everywhere I can in their run. I also have one and two-foot diameter tree stumps scattered around for them to hop up on, use as foils for pursuing bullies, and to poop on. Never underestimate the need for "furniture" in a chicken run. But position them so they can't use them as escape aids.

If you have a simple rectangular run, it can be made more interesting for the chickens by breaking it up with partitions, just like a room in your house can be made more interesting by repositioning a couch to break up the open space. Chickens like complexity, too.

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with the above post, too many pictures of empty runs. a old shovel handle can be placed across a corner, and wedged into the wire fence. An old branch or your old Christmas tree can create perches, and hide outs. While you might think of it making the run smaller, it actually increases square footage, as it provides multi levels.