Looking for Ideas: Chicken "Treat" Toys .......

[GinaSki]

Hi ~! As the days remain cold and the girls seemed to be bored....I am looking for ideas for 'toys' for them... things I can put thier treats and goodies in that might keep them buzy on these cold days until spring... if you have pictures.. that would be 'egg-cellent'.. thanks !!!

 

[sunnydee]

I dont have any pictures yet (but can get some if you need). I find that the wire suet cages you would use for wild birds work great for my flock. I have only six chickens so I use only one. But I stuff it with pretty much anything they like to eat. Their favorite is lettuce, but I have put stale breads, muffins pretty much anything.

I have also hung a head of cabbage or lettuce. The trick to this is hang it just high enough for them to reach.

I am on vacation this week and am going to try to make some treats for them that freeze well so when I get back to work I will have some made up. I am thinking of putting oats, peanut butter, some grains, oyster shell, honey etc into a baking sheet and freezing it making little snack bars.

I also forgot to mention to put scratch and black oil sunflower seeds on their litter. My girls love to dig around in it finding treats throughout the day.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

I second the hanging lettuce or cabbage. They love that and it will keep them busy.

 

[TreeFever]

I've also heard of people using cat or dog treat balls. It's a little plastic ball with some holes you fill with kibble and when it rolls around enough from the animal, a treat will pop out of a hole! like this: http://www.crittercottage.com.au/database/images/product_250.jpg/url
they are about 4-6 $ so you could buy one and fill it with...sunflower seeds, raisins, mealies, cheerios whatever would fit...maybe even kibbles

Or I imagine you could make one out of say a cardboard tube taped off at the ends and full of treats, then poke a few little hole in it.

I want to try this with my chickens

 

[cdeans]

I would get a shallow kong(dog toy) and fill it with peanut butter they would love it!!!