toys, activities for cooped up hens

[gingerpeach22]

Anyone have ideas they'd like to tell about how to make the coop more interesting to get hens less bored? They have a couple of cages for cabbage, carrots, etc., but the last only half an hour. Scattering scratch is the most exciting even in their little lives. I move a couple of milk crates around and have a few stumps so they can get away from one another and have the thrill of hopping up onto something besides the roosts. They have a dangling plastic baby toy, but just ignore it. It's minus 30 degrees so the outdoor run is off limits because to open the pop door is to let cold air flood in, negating the expensive flat panel heater. Closing the pop door while they are outside keeps the coldest birds from racing in to the infrared lamp.

 

[DutchieWannabe]

I read somewhere that hanging shiny things like old cd's might be fun for them. Mine spend most of their days inside (as of lately) despite having 24/7 access to outside. i have also been thinging about this....

 

[3dogs]

Maybe give them knitting needles and yarn to make sweaters for each other?! Wow, -30 is darn cold!

When I lived in a colder area, I put suet in one of those wire cage-like wild bird feeders and hung it at about chicken head level for them to peck at. Placing it near a wall helped to prevent it from swinging wildly and hitting the birds.
I also gave them cabbage, but put the whole head on a spike driven through a board for stability. It kept them busy for quite a while.

 

[todtrac]

I have read to hang a head of cabbage up and they will peck at it for enertainment and also food source, I have not tried it yet but plan too.

 

[abhaya]

U have a small pile of straw I toss treats in they scratch and did looking for treasure it seems to keep them busy for a while.

 

[chicks4kids]

I like to save up bags of leaves before winter and get a good stockpile going....then when winter truly hits and they're cooped up, I get a couple bags of leaves open and ready to dump out....With my handy scratch bucket in hand, I hurry up and throw some (scratch) out and then quickly dump the leaves on top of the scratch.....this keeps them very active! Plus it's fun to watch!

 

[PepsNick]

Put tarp on the run!