Winter boredom

[Chicks Galore3]

Yippee. This my chickens first winter. They are used to spending half the day roaming around our 6 acres and stealing tomatoes and cucumber in our garden- so they are very disgruntled at being cooped up all day. They refuse to step their queenly feet out onto the snow. They are so bored! I've had some bald chickens as of late, but I think that is because of me putting vaseline on their combs, I would get some on the feathers around the comb and they'd clean each other off. Today I heard some broody-like growling among the girls. What can I put in the coop to prevent them picking at each other?

 

[sumi]

Hang a cabbage in there for them to eat or make them a flock block to peck. Here's a recipe:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/723868/my-flock-block-recipe

Chickens don't like walking on snow, so you may have to clear an area for them outside to walk around. I can imagine the coop will be boring after 6 acres!

 

[foulplay]

With my old coop I just cleaned a path to the coop and a little bit in front of the coop and the went straight outside if I put a little corn outside.