Plastic, fillable eggs as toys?

[Fishkeeper]

Has anyone ever tried using those plastic Easter eggs that open into halves as toys? Seems to me that if you could teach the chickens that they're openable, you could fill them with food and let the chickens chase them around, pecking them to get them open. I'm pretty sure a good chicken peck to the seam of an egg would pop one open.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I don't want my chickens to get the idea to play with eggs, peck eggs or break eggs.
I'd be paranoid it would lead to egg eating.
Did find a broody with an egg stash once that included three bright colored Easter eggs in with her eggs.

 

[aart]

Chickens don't need 'toys'....and fake eggs are not 'toys' but tools.

If you want to enrich your birds environment put some stuff in the run:
2x2's and branches for perches. Logs, stumps, pallets leaned against wall or up on concrete blocks, grazing frames, old table/chairs/benches.

 

[aart]

Something that could be stuffed full of food for them to attack and shake.

Some folks drill holes in a plastic pop bottle and fill them with scratch grains.

 

[Kiki]

Some folks drill holes in a plastic pop bottle and fill them with scratch grains.

This ^^ I have seen before.
chicken plastic bottle with treats inside

 

[Kiki]

I would be worried that once they broke open the plastic egg, which may get cracked and broken into small pieces, they would then eat those small plastic pieces.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Maybe they don't need toys, but they'll use toys. Most vertebrates will. Heck, some large fish will play with toys. Environmental enrichment is great, but toys are a good idea, and certainly won't hurt anything.
Chickens will chase after and hunt down small animals. A toy that they can attack to release food is a similar idea, but without a small animal being torn apart. Maybe not a plastic egg, but I wonder if anyone makes those Kong dog toys in a small enough size? Something that could be stuffed full of food for them to attack and shake.

 

[llombardo]

I got a toy for them that does what you are describing. They move it and food comes out. I haven't tried it yet. Now I have to and I will let you know.

Mine are still in the house. I was going to let them out for the day but it hasn't gotten over 25 yet. They hop in and out of the brooder. They are all over the place, but they always jump back in the brooder, I do believe this will transfer over to the coop. This morning I woke up late and jumped up to check on them, no worries-they found the food and water. They keep themselves busy hopping and roosting on multiple things.

 

[Chickening101]

Has anyone ever tried using those plastic Easter eggs that open into halves as toys? Seems to me that if you could teach the chickens that they're openable, you could fill them with food and let the chickens chase them around, pecking them to get them open. I'm pretty sure a good chicken peck to the seam of an egg would pop one open.

maybe some other toy you could open...it may lead to egg eating if they get the idea that eggs are breakable

 

[Fishkeeper]

Would they make the connection between a brightly colored, plastic, potentially-not-egg-sized egg and their own eggs, though? I've just realized I have no idea how much color vision chickens have.