Keeping my Chickens Entertained

MyISAbrownhens

Songster
6 Years
May 23, 2017
196
368
172
Virginia
I have always been worried about my chickens getting bored, especially since they aren't free range. During the warmer seasons I would give them things like blue berries in cold water to fish out, put out cricket tubes so they can catch them and made little scratch dispensers from water bottles to keep them entertained but always making sure they didn't get too much non feed. But I'm especially worried now that winter is coming because they still usually have a lot of bugs in their run because it's so large but now it's too cold for bugs. I feel like they have been getting really bored lately and I'm wondering what other boredom busters I could try. Any suggestions?
 
I have a few ideas...
  • Mirrors- chickens are fascinated by looking into mirrors. Make sure it is securely attached to something so it doesn't fall and break.
  • Add some more things to perch on- A bale of hay, some logs, some wooden perches.
  • Make a "piñata"- Hang a treat like cabbage, cucumber, or kale for them to peck at all day.
  • Oatmeal- My chickens love to have a nice warm bowl of oatmeal every now and then when the weather is cooler.
  • Make a dust bathing area- Fill a large tub, flower pot, or bucket with soft sand to create a dust bathing area for your flock.
  • Crumbles- Provide feed in the form of crumbles instead of pellets to extend the amount of time they are eating to help reduce boredom.
  • Grow sprouts- Germinate grass, peas, or other chicken friendly sprouts indoors and give them to your chickens in a couple weeks.
  • Pumpkin- Chickens love pumpkin, a simple way to give this to them is to just cut some large holes in a small-medium sized pumpkin (depending on the size of your flock) and let them nibble away.
  • Flock block- Buy one at the store or try making your own. There are many homemade flock block recipes out their.
  • Supervised free range time to let the stretch their wings and explore a little.
  • Piles of leaves, straw, or hay for them to scratch around in.
  • Anything new or different- Chickens love an opportunity to explore something new.
Hope this helps and gives you some fun ideas good luck and happy holidays!
 
Try a flock block. It can be found at most feed stores or ordered for you. It's a big hard block of seeds and the chickens will spend hours pecking at it. Make sure you get one that isn't soft and crumbly or they will eat it up in a day.
 
I forgot to add that a flock block needs to be rationed just as scratch is. I feed fermented feed in twice a day servings. The flock block is covered until the FF has been completely finished.
 
I have always been worried about my chickens getting bored, especially since they aren't free range. During the warmer seasons I would give them things like blue berries in cold water to fish out, put out cricket tubes so they can catch them and made little scratch dispensers from water bottles to keep them entertained but always making sure they didn't get too much non feed. But I'm especially worried now that winter is coming because they still usually have a lot of bugs in their run because it's so large but now it's too cold for bugs. I feel like they have been getting really bored lately and I'm wondering what other boredom busters I could try. Any suggestions?
What is a cricket tube? I feed my gecko crickets and plan on shaking some in the chicken run even in the cold. They will jump at first until they get too cold. So at least the chickens will be entertained for 5 seconds. :D
Sounds like you got some good advice.
 
Are you sure the birds are bored....or is it you? ;)

What does your coop and run look like?
Pics please?
Is your run covered to keep snow out...do you get snow there?

2x2's and branches for roosts in run. Logs, stumps, pallets leaned against wall or up on concrete blocks, grazing frames, old table/chairs/benches.
 
I've used flock blocks in the past. I have put them in the yard and when I let the girls out they would run right to it and peck away.

One time, I put one in the run but I noticed, they pretty much ate only the block and were ignoring their feed. My suggestion would be if you put one in the run/coop, only leave it for a set amount of time then remove it and put it back in the next day or every other day. I only put them in the yard now since their access to it is limited.

On days when the girls don't get to free range due to weather, I like to semi-cook squash and put that in the run for them to peck at. They seem to love to have something to do when locked up all day. I haven't tried hanging a cabbage yet but plan to do that because I think they would have fun trying to peck at a swinging cabbage!

I also on occasion just throw a couple handfuls of scratch onto the run floor. They go nuts scratching around for it and it entertains them for hours since they try to find every little tidbit!
 
What is a cricket tube? I feed my gecko crickets and plan on shaking some in the chicken run even in the cold. They will jump at first until they get too cold. So at least the chickens will be entertained for 5 seconds. :D
Sounds like you got some good advice.
It's basically what it sounds like. I have a few geckos too so when I get their crickets I get some for my hens as well. I usually just take a paper towel tube and allow a few crickets to crawl in it, then put in in the run and the chickens wait for one to crawl out, it keeps them occupied for a while
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom