Winter "Cabin Fever"

[skate777]

Hello from northern Montana!
I acquired my first three hens last spring, so this is my first winter tending them. We have a nice shelter for the winter and they stay inside mostly, but they are getting verrrrry bored. Where I used to be greeted each morning with a cheery "Hi Mom!" now the sounds are more like "We're cold and bored and pretty sure it's all your fault." I decided to string up some garden tomatos so they could peck at them, and they were gone in moments. What are some good DIY ideas for keeping my girls occupied? Popcorn balls? Scratch balls? A pit of dirt with worms? A music loop with subliminal hypnotic messages? Thanks in advance. I never thought I'd be taking care of chickens, but we really like each other a lot.

 

[nikicolorado]

I've heard that giving them whole pumpkins to work on is a great winter treat. Also, I've seen folks hang vegetables in suet cages from inside the coop. I've seen the scratch blocks at the feed store - they look like a tidy option for in-coop feeding. I'm in northern Colorado - not as far north nor as cold as where you are, but this is my first winter too, and I'm hoping to keep my flock warm and entertained through winter!

 

[hennible]

Apples tied to strings hung from the ceiling, or anything you can hang up for them to peck at. A dust bath something simple like an old tire filled with play sand. A swing, just a big branch and two ropes hung from the ceiling. Those peck at feeders... If I can find the link I'll show you what I mean. And some people say mirrors in the coop can fight boredom...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/533758/automatic-feeder
This is a peck at feeder thread... Somewhere on here there's a nice set of plans for building them yourself.

 

[skate777]

That's great! Thanks for the reply. Good luck with your winter!