Mental Enrichment

[MixFlocksRule13]

Hey guys, me again. Long time no see. How are you guys?

So, I had to use feeding and watering since there isn't any general health section. But anyway...

I went into my chicken coop today to let my 5 ladies outside and noticed Speckles, my littlest hen (and favorite. I'm saying this here because the other 4 can't read. Neither can this one, I guess), was all scabbed up in the comb. We figured it was because they were bored.

Now, Christmas is coming up. I like to get my pets Christmas presents. So is there any kind of mental enrichment toy for chickens?

 

[CalBickieMomma]

I’ve seen people put in chicken swings, chicken jungle gyms, extra perches etc. Or maybe put some treats (veggies and the like) in a container that is more difficult to get into or provides a different way to enjoy it - cabbage on a string has always been popular with my flock. I even have a kid’s xylophone screwed into the wall of the coop for them to peck at, but the little stinkers never showed any interest. Also, I read somewhere that a bale of hay in the run gives them something to scratch up. For mine, I rake up leaves and dump them in a pile for them (mine don’t free range) - they love this. You can also search Pinterest for ideas .

 

[rosemarythyme]

Chickens don't really use toys the way other animals might. Best enrichment is lots of space with a variety to things to interact with, such as soft dirt to dust bathe in, piles of dried leaves or weeds or a bale of hay to dig through, things they can walk around and/or climb up on, such as roosts, stumps, assorted yard "junk" as clutter.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

things they can walk around and/or climb up on, such as roosts, stumps, assorted yard "junk" as clutter.

Oh, I’m so using the fancy words next time my wife is into me about the messy, cluttered run. “It’s not messy clutter…it’s mental enrichment”.

 

[3KillerBs]

Chickens need the ability to do chicken things -- to scratch, to forage, to dig, to perch, to dustbathe, etc.

One of the best toys you can give them is a pile of fall leaves raked out of your yard.

Another is a straw bale with one tie cut.