Need ideas for chicken toys/entertainment

[Bear4boo]

I’m looking for ideas of things we can add to our run for the chickens to have more options of things to do. Right now we have several roosting bars and a tree stump. I’ve considered a swing and one of those chicken xylophones but do they really use those? Any other ideas of things they enjoy that don’t take up a ton of space?

 

[crazychickenman007]

I’m looking for ideas of things we can add to our run for the chickens to have more options of things to do. Right now we have several roosting bars and a tree stump. I’ve considered a swing and one of those chicken xylophones but do they really use those? Any other ideas of things they enjoy that don’t take up a ton of space?

I am interested as well. I wish there was more toys for them

 

[RubelliteRose]

I bought a xylophone for my chickens. I think one girl pecked it once and then they never looked at it again I ended up taking it apart and making a nice wind chime out of the bars
One thing they do enjoy when they are locked in the run is hanging fruit. We take a thickish piece of cord, tie a knot in the end, punch a hole in a piece of fruit or vegetable and hang it like a tetherball. Apples, cucumbers and cabbage are their favorites.

 

[Acre4Me]

Straw to scratch through. Shade. Roosts. Places to not see everyone- so, a little clutter to block sight lines.

Put their water in a new place- wow, exciting!

Make a wet mash if their feed, sprinkle some marigold petals or seeds or scratch on top -chicken nirvana, and they are still eating their feed!

Things that make them play chase: one blueberry tossed into the run, see them run, then chase the one that got it! Off they go in another direction! Another one stole it, there they go again! Repeat several times.

Unbreakable mirror : they see new chickens!!! What!! They peck, they look, they talk.

Black dots on the wall- it looks like a bug!! They peck and peck!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Swings don't often get used either (they're cute, but I haven't had a chicken past chick age use it).

I prefer to not use food as entertainment. Various clutter (and if you don't have a lot of space in the run, you can switch things in and out too) https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/ keeps things interesting and gives them things to go on top of and around. Piles of plant debris to scratch through, a dust bath, etc. fill their need to dig around.

 

[3KillerBs]

Give them the opportunity to engage in natural chicken behaviors -- scratching, foraging, dustbathing, sunbathing, perching, etc.

The thread linked above is terrific.

 

[Mrs. K]

Thank you, I started the clutter run thread.

I rearrange the furniture so to speak every so often, especially if I am adding birds.

And I add mini haystacks - there scratching breaks it down and hopefully eats the weed seeds, for my garden mulch.

Mrs K