My girls seem bored in their run. Suggestions?

[2hot2chicken]

I throw a whole head of lettuce in their run ad they peck at it and it rolls around for a little while or hang a corn on the cob n make them really have to reach to get it or jump.

I also put a pan of cool water which they like to use to stand in and sometimes sort splash around in.

I also take dried meal worms and spread them out and hid them around their pen as a treat they have to work to find.
they love that one.....

 

[GardenGal]

Dry leaves are good; they seem to enjoy rooting through them. I hang treats, throw in grass clippings, arrange their "furniture", scatter some food for them to peck at. I spend waaay more time getting the chickens ready for work than getting myself ready

 

[nanawendy]

I have stuff for them to climb on, rounds and branches and a old half of ladder. I also put a bale out every few weeks, they love scratching around on it. Then after a while I'll pull off a leaf or two.

 

[Harrietsmum]

I toss a cup of my homemade scratch on the ground in the run every morning - wild bird seed, oats, wheat, corn, sunflower seeds etc. Plus I add greens every morning, cabbage, spinach, silver beet, grass, weeds etc, what ever is available.

 

[srfjeld]

All of these ideas sound great! I especially like the idea of hanging their treats. They are still warming up to new treats. I put watermelon in their run a few times and they'll usually eat it by the 2nd day. They LOVE their protein treats like cottage cheese, eggs, and yogurt. They love carrot and radish tops, and they like lettuce okay. I noticed they'll eat it if it's in the run with them all day. Trying to get them into broccoli and tomatoes right now.

 

[dbounds10]

I have a suet cage hanging that i put cabbage in. Its tough so they really have to peck at it. Keeps them busy for the whole day. Also piles of dried leaves, branches to jump on, and a watermelon cut in half.

At night they come out for about an hour before bed to rummage through the yard and get their nightly treat of cottage cheese with smashed layer pellets mixed in. Its been so hot here they just like to hang out inside the coop since it has AC.

 

[boogiedog]

I hang veggies around in their run after at dark when they are locked in their coop; and every week or so toss in a flake of hay with some BOSS tossed on top - big fun. (usually I just give a big cup of BOSS and scratch in the morning, but when they have to SEARCH for it they have a ball!)

 

[srfjeld]

What is BOSS?

 

[flowergirl60]

Quote:
BOSS is Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. Mine love it.

 

[srfjeld]

Ahhh.... I've seen a few black sun flower seeds in their new scratch mix. Mine have quite figured out how to get into those suckers yet so they leave them be. Will they eventually try?