The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: SheepMad95 on October 27, 2012, 09:50:07 am

Title: Toys
Post by: SheepMad95 on October 27, 2012, 09:50:07 am

i have 3 coops of chickens, and i cant move the houses but i can move the runs, but atm i have a broken wrist and so i cant move the runs for them to get fresh grass... so i was wondering if anyone has made any toys etc for their own chickens? i have tried tieing a carrot to a piece of string and dangling it down the run, but then they didnt know what to do with it and it went mouldy..

so yeah, does any one have any ideas? i hate to think that they are bored.

Thaaaankss :D

Title: Re: Toys
Post by: bloomer on October 27, 2012, 09:51:57 am

try the same with a cabbage mine used to go bonkers for it!!!

Title: Re: Toys
Post by: jaykay on October 27, 2012, 10:06:28 am

Cabbage and broccoli tied up. Also millet sprays (I think you buy them for budgies and parrots, just don't tell the chooks that  :D).

When mine lived in a town garden in a run, they also seemed to like a small heap of straw thrown into their run, with corn scattered in it - gave them something to scratch and hunt in.

Title: Re: Toys
Post by: Victorian Farmer on October 27, 2012, 10:09:13 am

pumpkins          :excited:

Title: Re: Toys
Post by: gillsta on October 27, 2012, 10:58:59 am

Pumpkins at the moment are going down a treat. Just cut a small hole in each one to start them off. Lots of fun for the chickens. Ours love them.

Title: Re: Toys
Post by: SheepMad95 on October 27, 2012, 12:43:45 pm

ahh thank you all!! on monday i shall go to a shop and get some of these :)

Title: Re: Toys
Post by: plumseverywhere on October 27, 2012, 05:24:47 pm

We have a largish boulder in the chicken run and every now and then we turn it onto a new side, exposing all the worms, woodlice and bugs that have congregated - they love those days (bugs probably don't)

Title: Re: Toys
Post by: chrismahon on October 27, 2012, 06:59:29 pm

Throw a bag of leaves in, ours love scratching around in them. If you collect oak leaves they can be raked ouwhen soiled to make excellent leaf mulch.


Ours like green cabbage. We hung a red cabbage up once and i went down a few hours later to find them all against the sides of the run staring at this cabbage. I think they thought it was some dead animal or something so I removed it immediately and things returned to normal.

Title: Re: Toys
Post by: deepinthewoods on October 27, 2012, 07:29:54 pm

 ;D  ill have to try that!.
 
i like to throw half a small bale of straw in, that will keep them occupied for a while, or a bucket of still cooking compost.
 
a live mouse can be fun to watch in a chicken pen, but not as good as throwing a cat in :o