Toys in Run?

[henney]

Does anyone have suggestions on keeping your chickens occupied in their run during this wintery weather? I hung a big cabbage but they don't seem interested in pecking it?

 

[ChickLuver]

Give them some time....my guys LOVE it!!!! I think cabbage is awesome bordem cure for long boring snowy days like today....

 

[Chicken Woman]

Mine will tear a cabbage apart in one day ! They also like apples. I use some wire and push thru a few apples and then hang just so they can reach.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

This topic comes up quite a bit. I just did a Search on "entertainment" and here is a two-page thread that popped up. Hope it gives you more ideas:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=82412

 

[Jenski]

Here's what my suburban hens enjoy ~

* red cabbage, either whole or wedges (but for whatever reason they don't touch it if I hang it up)
* pumpkins, whole or halves
* romaine hearts
* green or red leaf lettuce
* acorn squash halves
* kale leaves
* cauliflower
* broccoli

I know some folks recommend against giving hay to chickens due to potential crop issues, but I toss some fresh, rough-cut STRAW (not hay) in the runs and throw scratch on it, and the girls love to dig through it searching for their corn. They will dig through a block of straw for hours! I do dig it all out every couple of days and strip the run down to the floor, though, and mucking out may not be everyone's cup of tea.

I have also tried redhen's recipe for the flock block, and that has been a big hit.

We put several perches and chook shelves in the runs to give the girls more use of the vertical space, and they put them to good use. In the main run we also made a crude "stool" which also has a vertical plywood panel on one side so they can hide under it and take dust baths. I keep the DE-dirt refilled under it, and they love taking their lady hen spa treatments under it.

 

[Sissy]

Jenski, thanks great ideas.. have mine on dumor layer feed do
I still have to toss in bits of meat??
read somewhere meat is important to their diet.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
I have done a search for this recipe and no luck! Would you mind sharing it please?

 

[Sissy]

found this on a post a few days ago.
3 cups of Feed
1-1/2cups wild bird seed
1 cup oatmeal
add water just enough to form a block
and bake for 1-1/2 hrs.
at 300* cool and cut into blocks.
I tried it and my ladies loved it.

 

[henney]

Gosh! Thanks for your many suggestions. My husband was just out retrieving eggs this am and he said the cabbage looked picked on! Yah! I will implement some of your ideas tho!

 

[henney]

Oh, another question. Are apple seeds ok for chickens to eat? I heard they make them sick? Thanks:cd