My confined chickens are slowly going mad

[Chicken.Lytle]

My six formerly free range chickens are not happy that I have confined them to a measly 800 square foot fully enclosed run. They are going stir crazy.

What are some free or super-cheap things that will amuse them?

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

I hang a head of cabbage in my tractor and they have fun pecking at it as it swings back and forth. I also mix some boss in their litter so they will dig for it and turn over the litter at the same time. I also have a moveable run attached to my tractor (although its winter so nothing is moving!) and I open the door every day and give them the option of going out. Only time it stayed shut was when we got a snow storm last weekend. My 8 girls live in a 4x8 tractor and are okay with being cooped up for a day or two. Any longer than that and I get bawked at bigtime! Perhaps some branches put in there would give them something different to do. Good luck.

 

[BethieofVA]

Chicken.Lytle :

My six formerly free range chickens are not happy that I have confined them to a measly 800 square foot fully enclosed run. They are going stir crazy.

What are some free or super-cheap things that will amuse them?

800 sq foot that is a house! I have eight perfectly content chickens in a 40x40 run!! They have a roost, stump and lots of ground to peck and scratch.​

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

Quote:
800 sq foot that is a house! I have eight perfectly content chickens in a 40x40 run!! They have a roost, stump and lots of ground to peck and scratch.

Did I mention they were spoiled?

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I rake up dry leaves, throw down some bird seed (you could use scratch) and put the leaves on top.. They LOVE it..

I stuff large suet cake cages w/ greens/veggies from our garden/ stale bread/ cabbage/ leaves/ even big plugs of ground that I dig up w/ grubs/worms in.. I cut four holes into the sides of a large pumpkin and put it in there...

place a lg. hand full of birdseed on the ground water them, place a board on top of the seeds (I do ten different places)... remove the board in a few days..they seed will be sprouted let them eat one a day and start all over.. My girls think it is heaven..

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

When I am not free ranging, I sometimes dig up a square of sod and dump it in the run. They CHOW DOWN and eat all the grass in no time. But they have a ball. Then I just take my shovel and either fill the hole with chicken poo or dump the dirt clod back into the hole sans grass.

I bring the grass to them, instead of bringing them to the grass.

 

[BooBear]

If you have a PetSmart in town then buy some live crickets. Open the crickets up in there and watch the show!
Hide goodies in strategic spots with leaf litter n such to make them feel like they are foraging.
Someone else (can't remember who as I have been reading way too many posts) said that they found putting raisens and raw peanuts in a heavy duty freezer bag. Close the bag up and toss it in. The chickens will go nuts trying to work the goodies out.

Move stuff around occasionally for a change of scenery.

 

[Denninmi]

Get them a kiddie pool or similar container, and fill it with about six to eight inches of play sand. They'll spend several hours a day dust bathing in the sand.

 

[PepsNick]

Bugs, treats, cabbage (which hasn't ever worked for mine), putting the feed in a new container which somehow encourages them to eat it, adding roosts, sand boxes, playing 'hide and seek' with worms, letting them jump in my lap, all works great.

 

[barbieszoo]

Quote:
How do you hang/secure the cabbage? I'm new at this. Thanks! So many great suggestions on this thread! I'm enjoying the ideas.