Treat Balls

[Aphrael]

Funny you said that...my girls love cabbage and have always turned their noses up to lettuce. Chickens....go figure!!

Mine too! A head of cabbage they make very short work of. But any time I put out lettuce, they peck at it and then look at me like I've tricked them.

My ducks, on the other hand, will mow you down to get lettuce. They LOVE it, cabbage not so much.

 

[CliffB]

I just refilled the ball with cabbage and they immediately went to work on it again.

 

[sher4004]

I just hung a huge cabbage in their run and they loved it. Last week I left a raw pumpkin on the ground (cooked one earlier) too hoping to give them a little extra to do. I also hung up a few mirrors and put a ball in the coop with a bell in it and hung plastic balls full of sunflower seeds that fall out if they hit it. RIR were the first to learn everything. Smart girls, hubby thinks I am nuts but my parrots love toys so...

 

[sher4004]

popped corn

 

[Highcotton]

I bought 2 treat balls with the bells on the bottom to entertain everyone while they are locked up at night during the winter. So far i have been putting a mixed lettuce into the ball with little chunks of carrot and it lasts about an hour. What else could i put in the ball to entertain them? I've read cabbage and lettuce but what else? Thanks.

Most any greens like Kale and Spinach. They also love apples, even peels and cores. Potatoes are also good. They like Suet cakes too. Mine love watermelon though they seldom get the whole thing at our house.

 

[Highcotton]

I just hung a huge cabbage in their run and they loved it. Last week I left a raw pumpkin on the ground (cooked one earlier) too hoping to give them a little extra to do. I also hung up a few mirrors and put a ball in the coop with a bell in it and hung plastic balls full of sunflower seeds that fall out if they hit it. RIR were the first to learn everything. Smart girls, hubby thinks I am nuts but my parrots love toys so...

Welcome to BYC Sher.

 

[iwiw60]

Most any greens like Kale and Spinach. They also love apples, even peels and cores. Potatoes are also good. They like Suet cakes too. Mine love watermelon though they seldom get the whole thing at our house.

Be careful with potatoes...if they are 'green' (which most are in the bags) don't feed them. There's something in those that are toxic to chickens.

 

[Highcotton]

Be careful with potatoes...if they are 'green' (which most are in the bags) don't feed them. There's something in those that are toxic to chickens.

True. I think they are fine if you peel the green off.

 

[Peep_Show]

TSC was having a clearance on these, so I bought one. When I hung it at the first peck the chickens were totally freaked out by the bell and ran to the four corners of the coop. SO one minor adjustment later (good-bye bell) the girls were busily tearing into it. The cage is REALLY small if you think you're going to put a cabbage or head of lettuce in it, but a great size to stuff a hamburger bun and lots of lettuce in there. Birds had a great time.