Permanent Things for Chickens to Do?

[bychicken1]

I have 8 chickens, who are pretty bored and mad for most of the day. They really love scratching outside, but we don't let them free range unless we watch them because there are a TON of hawks around.

In the time that they aren't free ranging, what can we do to distract them and make them happy? Our coop is pretty large, and is empty except for one perch. Any permanent things I can put in there so they won't be super bored?

 

[tripletfeb]

Do they have a run attached to the coop? I put a tree stump in my run, the girls love to perch on it and eat any bugs that crawl out(it helps that it's rotting). You could also spread hay down and put mealworms or something in it so they can scratch around and find those goodies

 

[bychicken1]

Do they have a run attached to the coop? I put a tree stump in my run, the girls love to perch on it and eat any bugs that crawl out(it helps that it's rotting). You could also spread hay down and put mealworms or something in it so they can scratch around and find those goodies

sorry, forgot to say - they do have a run, quite big

 

[neo71665]

Tree stumps, half filled (weight) 5 gallon buckets, tree branches. Something I'm bout to try is a swing. They have a dust bath?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We had a stump with a single branch that is laid sideways. Big birds use the stump and little birds use the vranch, which makes the while trunk move briefly

 

[bychicken1]

Tree stumps, half filled (weight) 5 gallon buckets, tree branches. Something I'm bout to try is a swing. They have a dust bath?

They don't have a dust bath, we tried but one chicken kept eating the sand

I'll put one in if I can stop them from eating the sand

 

[neo71665]

They don't have a dust bath, we tried but one chicken kept eating the sand

I'll put one in if I can stop them from eating the sand

Whats the issue with them getting grit?

 

[bychicken1]

Whats the issue with them getting grit?

I don't mind if they eat it, but if they do, no dust bath. How do you create a dust bath area?

 

[GardenCityChickens]

That's great your thinking about ways to entertain the chickens, they're so curious and active!
More perches or a ladder can be a good start.
Loose ground to dig around in, like soil and coarse sand.
Adding the grit to the ground to search for.
Old logs to peck at.
Hanging vegetables and fruit can pass the time so they don't peck at each other.
You can make a seed despenser too.
Chickens like visual stimulation so a mirror, or outside the run but in sight something like a garden windmill, or a mobile of old CDs to catch the light.
Even just moving all this stuff around to a different location makes it interesting again!

 

[neo71665]

I don't mind if they eat it, but if they do, no dust bath. How do you create a dust bath area?

Mine is an 18 wheeler brake drum I fill with wood ash and sand. I burn wood in my shop so I get it free. I live about 8 miles from a river so I also get it free. Free is my favorite price.