Mrs

[nutterly_uts]

Hello

 

Still haven't got my chooks yet, but not far off! I am looking for ideas on yummies and boredom busters ready for when they come I will be able to free range them a bit, but they will spend a fair bit of time in their run, so I want to keep them happy

 

Thanks

[Snowyhen]

try tying a cabbage leaf just at full stretch beak reach from the top of their run

[jackian]

It really depends on the type of run.If you are buying a coup with a basic attached run you will probably find it is not big enough.Any chicken that is not able to walk around properly gets bored.

When we first got our girls we could not possibly keep hens in there .So a walk in run was built made with old wood .with a covered see through roof for shelter.( the roof was only added after three soaking wet chickens )

I think more important than things to do is space.If you can build a walk in run with hight as well as width that would be great and then you can put in branches across ..even broom handles .I have logs from the wood so it cost nothing.

I have 4 chickens and the run is 4m x 4m and 2m high with the coups inside.

Good luck you won't regret it .

[LottyJ1]

Mine love the big peck blocks, cauliflower, sweetcorn, broccoli, or greens hung up in the run. The sweetcorn is like chicken swing ball

 

I also have a trub dust bath and logs and perches to keep them busy.

[nutterly_uts]

Its a standard eglu run (not sure if I have an extension or not). I can free range them daily but they will need to spend a fair bit of time in their run.

[Chortle Chook]

When you first get your chickens you'll find them rather conservative in their food tastes, (chickens are suspicious of new things ) but the thing of the moment for my chickens is 'Spring Greens'. You can put a twisty hook in the thick stem part and hang it from the top of your run. They are not expensive and often come in handy packets of three A bit later you might find that half a coconut hung up is fun for them.

[blueandwhite]

I've got two in a standard eglu run. They are out and about whenever I'm at home but during the week they are in the run most of the day. I hang up a cabbage and I have a metal ball thing that I push eg apple quarters into. They also have a CD hanging up and I pushed a couple of battens through the run from one side to the other to act as perches. Also had a clay plant pot in there but they lost interest in sitting on that after a while. I think just try things and change it about.