Omlet cube and run

[squiffs]

Okay - we're new to this, my OH lives 170 odd miles away from me most of the year and I work out of town so I'm out of the house for about 11 hours of the day - I've been experimenting with things to give the girls to keep them occupied as I know they're itching to get out and eat all my plants and shrubs and they'll be locked in the run until I get home.

 

My chickens don't seem to like dangly things - I've hung CDs and a piece of corn on the cob from the bars of the run but they tend to stay down the opposite end of the run huddled together or at the most pretty much ignore it - but generally as a rule it freaks them out. I cut the CDs down and have left them on the floor of the run in the hope they'll get used to them, and I've left the corn hanging because they seem unphased by it and I'm hoping they'll just 'figure out' that it's tasty and they can peck it... Maybe wishful thinking though!!

 

What toys/things do you give your chooks to keep them amused when they can't free range - for example if you work all day?

[Redwing]

Mine have branches to jump on and tyres to sit on the edge of, hanging bunches of greens go down well as does a cabbage

 

If the corn on the cob is fresh maybe strip some of the kernels off and offer them first and see if they will then peck at the cobs. Mine wont touch the dried cobs at all unless I strip off all the kernels

 

Some people put up mirrors with bells on, parrot toys etc.. but do be careful as to me they are just more things that could cause injury

 

To be honest as long as the hens have enough room, have food and water they will be just fine

[Henchanted]

I put up one of those wildbird 'fat ball feeders' (but not with fat balls as they would get fat and stop laying) with a half an apple or pear (not exotic fruits as I'd rather stick to fruits they would find in the garden) or broccoli florets, or stuff it full of spinach leaves or cabbage/greens. That makes great sport for them reaching up and pecking bits off this all day.

 

Mine have a wooden perch (branch) pushed through and secured in the weldmesh run at about 10 inches off the ground, on which they like to perch for a nap, a change of scenery height and its where they do a lot of preening or simply jumping on and off it.

 

I try and add a bit of fresh aubiose mixed with a bit of Diatom quite frequently into the ditch they made themselves where they dust bath, which they love to do as soon as the sun comes out.

 

I have also given them (don't laugh) a yellow ball - one of those hollow plastic ones from a kids ball pool to play with- you promised- but they haven't quite worked out the rules for 2 a side football yet.

 

Most of the time they make themselves busy scratching about (? looking for lost coins or buried treasure )

[Space Chick]

Dustbaths, Perches, tables and different levels for my girls. I echo what Redwing says, as long as they have enough space, food and water they are fine.

 

Mine get daily treats when I am home with them, such as corn, mealworms and greens from the kitchen

[squiffs]

I moved the omlet shade to give a wider area of shade and better chicken watching aspects today and seeing margot dustbath whilst babs was in the nesting box was the cutest thing. not sure how effective it was though as they're on beechwood chippings in there at the moment - have tried wedging an apple in between the bars but they don't like apple and they only take it from my hand for the sake of it!

 

a plastic ball and some perches do sound like good ideas, they don't really get up off the ground level otherwise, and they seem to like jumping up on my bench with me and just strutting up and down the back of it - so I will forage some branches for them I think.

 

does anyone put ice cubes in their water when it's hot? we've got a heat wave starting up today - it's going to be 24 degrees shortly... is that a good idea to cool them down?

 

 

I'm sort of worried about hanging bits of food from the run when I'm not here - even whilst I'm sat in the garden today I have seagulls looming round eyeing up the run

[Henchanted]

I hang my bird-feeder inside the run under a bit with shade cover usually, so no problem.

 

I think that if you can keep the water drinker in the shade and freshen the water mid afternoon, that should be enough. I don't have any ice cubes but if I did mine would go into a long G&T rather than to the chickens

[squiffs]

I hang my bird-feeder inside the run under a bit with shade cover usually, so no problem.

 

I think that if you can keep the water drinker in the shade and freshen the water mid afternoon, that should be enough. I don't have any ice cubes but if I did mine would go into a long G&T rather than to the chickens

 

 

good point! but I have 2 massive sacks of ice (99p a bag) in the freezer so I thought whilst i'm flush i might share the wealth

[Bramble]

I've just given my lot some ice lollies (well frozen broccoli florets to be exact) They LOVE raw broccoli, so thought I'd try giving them some still frozen as its hot, they're certainly having a good peck at it!!!

 

I also made a sort of treat ball for them - a clear plastic container (so they can see there's something worth having inside ) with holes in so that the bits of corn or whatever inside fall out as they roll it round. I really didn't think they'd get the hang of it, but they did and VERY quickly, corn football is now a favourite game

[squiffs]

I've just given my lot some ice lollies (well frozen broccoli florets to be exact) They LOVE raw broccoli, so thought I'd try giving them some still frozen as its hot, they're certainly having a good peck at it!!!

 

I also made a sort of treat ball for them - a clear plastic container (so they can see there's something worth having inside ) with holes in so that the bits of corn or whatever inside fall out as they roll it round. I really didn't think they'd get the hang of it, but they did and VERY quickly, corn football is now a favourite game

 

 

That sounds perfect! I know my two like mealworms, grapes and corn for sure - so if I did something like that i think i'd be quids in

[Plum]

Much the same as the others. Mine spend quite a lot of time just perching, scratching, bathing, laying so I've got perches, stool, gym, garden bench, dustbath, logs, extra house in their run. I reckon they roam round everything and feel they are in a different place each time so don't get bored. Do my best for them.

 

I chuck bush clippings in sometimes and occasionally (very) rake some corn in the run when they are not there.

[squiffs]

 

 

I tried putting a perch in the run this afternoon (I was doing some extreme gardening) - and they REALLY did not like it, as soon as they saw it they started making a racket and wouldn't go near it! Have I got the wussy chickens of the batch or something? Damn.

 

[Plum]

Know what you mean. I put a rotten log full of bugs in their run and got the same reaction. Had to put sweetcorn on it, that worked

[squiffs]

on the upside, they've made a step forward in figuring out that corn comes from a cob and are now pecking at one on the floor - haven't managed to join the dots and realise the dangly thing is also a cob

[squiffs]

Have successfully managed to get a perch in the run! I put it in between the bars whilst they were sleeping in the eglu, so when they came out in the morning, they had no choice but to clamber over it to get to their food! Margot is having a little rest on it now, so cute!

 

 

[Plum]

She looks happy

[squiffs]

She looks happy

 

 

I hope so, she has a naturally harsh look in her face like she's frowning or scowling, and the hooked beak makes her look even more of a menace, so it's hard to tell when she's pleased!

[stoice]

My girls didn't 'get' the hanging greens idea at first so I tied to the side of the run, hanging from one piece of string and tied down from the bottom. It didn't move about so they started to peck. Over the next few days i made the string less tught, then just had it dangling on the one thread from the side of the run, then eventually from the roof. They can be scared of their own shadow at times! The clucking I got when i upgraded their dust bath to a second hand butler sink! I now hang a corn cob so they play sweetcorn swingball and stuff an apple or individual green leaves in a fat ball holder tied to the side of the run to keep them amused.

[Julia W]

I have my eglu inside a big run with 6ft high wire netting and a gate. I have six girls in there with CD's hanging up and a small wooden chicken, they are low enough for them to peck at them but not to swing back and hurt them, though I don't think they are particularly interested in them. I also have a long perch and 4 or 5 logs and an old bench table for them to ''play'' on but the most entertainment they seem to get is when I go in the run with them at about 3 or 4 in the afternoon and feed them with corn from my hand. I have an old macrame pot holder which I've hang from the run and I put greens in this but so far they don't seem interested, my last four girls almost devoured the greens before I could get them in the hanger. I've only had these girls for about a month and was away leaving hubby to look after them for two weeks and they are already tame and following me around the run and they will almost all let me stroke them and pick them up. Like some others, I'm sure they will be fine so long as they have enough food and water and shade and shelter, though I do doubt their intelligence as far as rain goes, I have a cover over my eglu and run and often go up there to find them huddling in the pouring rain outside under the tree!!

[daxigirl]

I found a chicken treat ball on Amazon (by savic), you know to put corn or whatever in, like a kong for a dog. It came today so have filled it up and left it in the babies run and they were actually kicking/pecking it about so the contents came out to eat. Well happy mummy.

[Julia W]

What a fabulous idea. Even though I'm home all the time I shall have a look at this as a change for my girls. I go up every afternoon to sit with them and feed them corn out of my hands to get them used to me and trust me, I've only had the six I have now since the end of May. Today I thought I would just throw some corn on the ground for them because I was in the middle of watching the Nadal/Murray match and thought it would be a bit quicker. However, my girls thought differently. They wouldn't eat the corn on the ground or leave me alone, which at first I couldn't understand, but then I twigged, they wanted to eat out of my hands. I guess they trust me eh. I can honestly say I would rather sit with my chickens and feed them out of my hands and miss some of the Nadal/Murray match any day.

All yet to be named but they have their different coloured spiral rings so I can identify them quickly