treats to put in run

bosoxbratt

Songster
10 Years
Nov 5, 2009
105
2
134
Good morning all
I was wondering if I could get some ideas of what to put in the chicken run for a treat but also that will give them something to do while out in it?

In the morning they get thier normal snack/treat breakfast of mixed greens, yogurt fruit or oatmeal was just wondering if I could put something in their run for them to dig at or eat it is mainly just dirt in there now TY
 
I like to throw a few flakes of hay out into the chicken yard. I just leave the flakes whole, and they like to get on them and scratch them up. I also like to put a head of cabbage out there....you can hang it up or just cut it in half. They will attack it!
 
Our girls like sunflower seeds, cooked spaghetti, melon rinds, stale cereal, cracked corn (too much of that will make them stop laying), cheese, scrambled egg, frozen corn (good on hot days), just about anything EXCEPT potato peelings. You can suspend a cabbage on a piece of twine or in a bag at head height so they have to jump up to get it.
 
Besides the wonderful edible treats mentioned, I've put an old treehouse ladder on its side and raised up 12" or so for an outdoor roost. My son took tree branches and made a "jungle gym" of sorts for them to hang out on. You could make a dust bath area w/ashes, sand, and dirt mixed w/some DE for good measure...
 
This is what ours get daily: lots of lettuce and greens (they won't touch cabbage or turnip greens though)

On lucky days, I give them cantaloupe and watermelon!

I try to rarely give them cucumbers, strawberries or tomatoes... they don't eat all of it and that makes a mess!
They love grapes, pineapples, crickets, mealworms, chunks of venison and crumbled elk and pork (fat)

I put it all in a basket so they can peck it out and what not. Those balls of lettuce (sorry brain fart, cannot remember what they are called) are great, because they will tumble them around like a bowling ball!

I will usually toss them out cherry tomatoes or blueberries and they'll chase after it. LOL
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I planted a variety of sunflowers along the outside of the run fence and am trying to convince a couple of berry bushes to come up in the yard . I have one corner with mixed up sand / dirt for dust baths.

Of course, that said, my chicks are still in a tote bin in my bathroom
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I got one of those hamster treat balls (wire hanging ball with a bell on the bottom) at the pet store. I fill it with kale, spinach, collards or other leafy greens I have on hand, and hang it in the run just a touch over their heads. They go wild when they see me coming out with it
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. I'll also throw some grapes or cherry tomatos in the run sometimes. It's a blast to watch them play keep away.
 
I pull up wild clover out of my yard and rake up piles of leaves to put in the chicken kingdom when the flock isnt allowed to free range that day.
 

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