Free ways to relieve boredom?

[Ilovemyexbatts]

Heya,

Another quick Question.

Is there any free/cheap ways of reducing the girls boredom? I know there are the hanging peck things out there but they are a couple of quid each. I was wondering if anyone has any cheap/free ways of entertaining their hens?

Thank you

[Two_Sheds]

Hang up some (free) veg/weeds? Give them a football, hide some snails in an upside down bucket

[Ilovemyexbatts]

ooo a football, thats a good idea!! Thank you Ill try all those things out!

[Suechooks]

Logs and tree branches, tyres, old wheelbarrows, upside-down dog beds resting on a couple of tyres, upside -down wooden chairs, bale of straw, old wire hanging baskets with veg in to peck at. Put a paving slab down for a couple of days then move it and theres all sorts of goodies lurking underneath. Just look round and find what you can scavenge!

[jessmorris]

A big deep garvel tray full of dry old compost and wood chips for them to bathe in. Mine end up all in together jammed tight like sardines!

[Flummery]

I made a perch for mine from an old branch. It stands about a foot tall and they love it - line up on it, run round it, duck under it. They also like bunches of dandelion foliage to play with, like a shuttlecock, which they toss up in the air and eventually eat.

It also helps if your run is tall. Ours is nearly 6ft so I put a garden chair in and they fly up to sit on the seat, arms or back so the can nosey at what we're doing. We have a plastic fish box found washed up on the beach, which is sunk so the rim is at ground level. I put a bit of hemcore in there and they like to sit in it, out of the wind.

I also let them go into another area of the garden every day. They come out of their run and cross a patio to a fenced bit of garden known grandly as 'Chicken Field' where they can scratch and dig dust baths to their hearts' content. I'm sure they appreciate the change of scenery!

[Hilary B]

It might be another use for those useless CDs of unwanted software you sometimes find arriving. I know a garden where hundreds of them are used as bird deterrents, but I suspect chooks would simply be intrigued by the reflections, hang the things by strong string and wait for a chook to discover her reflection!

[vegetable-gardener]

Love the ideas here. We hang a spring green in their pen and they love pecking at it.

[OverWyreGrower]

I have a 'woodpile' in one of the runs - old branches and twigs etc all piled up... the hens perch on it, grub around under it, and sit in it...

I often chuck their afternoon corn at it, then they have to 'work' for it!

[Two_Sheds]

My African Grey's favourite toys aren't the expensive acrylic ones, but a bunch of peas in the pod, or walnuts in the shell, or cardboard boxes to peck at ... birds just love to peck & hunt for their treats

[sasha2001]

relieving boredom

We hang small net bags (came free with washing powder tablets) filled with cooked rice from the roof of the pen, the chooks spend hours pecking at it.

[Poddington Pea]

I tried the snails under a pot, the daft hens turned the pot over and left the snails. when I accidently stood on one they were suddenly interested in the fleshy inards! My girls think they're pampered, they'll be demanding peeled grapes next!
Also tried football, they're scared if you roll it, not interested if you don't! As I said, daft birds

[Ilovemyexbatts]

I love all your ideas I will definately be trying them out! My chickens are going to super pampered! They deserve it though! Thanks every one!!