I was just reading another posting about baby chicks and someone mentioned putting things in the brooder to give the chicks something to do. What should you put to keep them busy?
That is the Baby Einstein School of chicken raising... something about giving them educational toys to "spur their natural curiousity." They just need heat, food, water & companions.
Quote: Thank goodness. I struggle to raise my kids, I dont think I could handle chick socialization.... Ahhhhhh
I had read so much about some chicks that are bullies, so I put things in my brooder to prevent bullies in the first place and it worked for the two sets of chicks I've brooded so far. No pecking issues at all. In fact, at 30 wks, I still can't tell who is boss or at the head of the pecking order other then some will move away from the feeder if someone else comes along. I've got 25 coming on 9/21, so I'll see if it holds true for a larger bunch. I put in bright colored red cat balls with bells. They loved to peck those and anything RED. Flat rocks for them to climb on and play king of the hill (rock) plus it would hold heat and they liked that. A dish holder thingy that had dowels on it that they would climb up and down and roost on. Then I put an apple branch roost and then switched that out for a 2 x 4 that they would hunker down and sleep on. Mine never tried to roost on the food or waterers because they had other things to climb on. And I used a RED light.
