Winters Coming & Im Panicking

Best thing I EVER did for my flock was cover the run. I just used welded wire and 4x4s on pier blocks. Then I put a tarp over the whole thing. Nothing fancy. My run is over 200 sq ft, and we get snow. We got 4 ft last year. I did shovel off the run a couple of times during the heaviest falls, though, because it did start to sag a bit.

I also bought cheap clear shower curtain liners and attached them to the sides, leaving the front open for ventilation. Turned all 200+ ft plus the 64 sq ft of coop into a big coop for winter. I have 18 chickens and 5 ducks in that space. I also have a 650 sq ft fenced yard for them the ducks happily go out when snowing. The younger chickens do, too.
 
Best thing I EVER did for my flock was cover the run. I just used welded wire and 4x4s on pier blocks. Then I put a tarp over the whole thing. Nothing fancy. My run is over 200 sq ft, and we get snow. We got 4 ft last year. I did shovel off the run a couple of times during the heaviest falls, though, because it did start to sag a bit.

I also bought cheap clear shower curtain liners and attached them to the sides, leaving the front open for ventilation. Turned all 200+ ft plus the 64 sq ft of coop into a big coop for winter. I have 18 chickens and 5 ducks in that space. I also have a 650 sq ft fenced yard for them the ducks happily go out when snowing. The younger chickens do, too.
 
I think I dont know how to properly measure square feet, because I know for a fact I have enough run space for 24 chickens, it would mostly he indoor space

Square feet is the length x the width.

For example, my Little Monitor Coop is 4 feet long and 4 feet wide. 4x4 = 16 square feet, enough for 4 birds.

My brooder is 4x8. That's 32 square feet, enough for 8 birds.

Camp Cockerel is 10x10. That's 100 square feet, enough for 25 chickens.

Neuchickenstein is 16x16. That's 256 square feet, enough for 64 birds, though I have never had more than ~50 and half were juveniles.

Indoor space is coop. Outdoor space is run. :)
 
Winters a couple months away for me, and when you get 4+ feet of snow and your chickens don't want to leave the coop, your stuck with a coop full of bored, feather pecking, cold chickens.
Last year my girls tore each others feathers out, so all year I've had not so pretty hens. And this year I dont want to make that mistake, I dont want ugly hens all spring and summer while I wait for them to molt just so they can pluck themselves all over again.
I dont mind some mild pecking, but when half the flock looks like naked necks or have a back full of missing feathers I start to wonder if I should even keep them.
I've checked for mites, lice, and any pests and I haven't seen any, my girls are all great at hygiene.
My flock consists of 24 chickens, 1 rooster who's a beifelder, a sweet boy who's scared of most anything, we got him last month when his previous owner already had a good rue and didnt need him.
and 23 hens of all kinds. 9 are chicks from this spring, and the rest are a year old or older.
I'm hoping Fabio (the rue) can help with the pecking, but I need more ideas for boredom busters in my coop, there's plenty of space, and I shovel snow so they can go outside, but even then they will peck and peck.
I've tried peepers (pinless) and hated the effects it had on the few hens who I tried it on, they would get dirt and dust clogged up on their noses, and overall had a hard time free-ranging.
So now I plan on loading my hens up on good treats all winter so they can be fat and happy without the need to rip eachothers beards and feathers out (yes, several of my americanas lost their luxury beards that winter)
But anymore help is GREATLY appreciated, fun game ideas for them, easy to make treats, or even ways I can get them to come out into the snow. Thank you!
crickets? let them chase some around which will tire them out plus they are a great healthy treat
 

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