gavclojak Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Hope you can help, waiting for some ex-batts, I am preparing the run and wanted to know if anyone had any ideas for toys, we are making a dirt bath with a perch attached, was thinking of some parrot toys, I.e. ropes ect, not sure if they would be happy perching on a not so stable perch. Want to spoil them so any ideas will be greatly appreciated.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alet_chicken Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Hello, I think a perch is a fantastic idea. It may take some time before they are strong enough to make full use of it. My first ex-batts never used to jump onto things, until I got a couple of flighty pure breeds, and they must have learned from them because I suddenly found them jumping onto all sorts of things, like tables, plant pots, etc. Yours may be a bit more wise than mine, but they may well need some encouragement before they start interacting with toys. A word of warning about parrot toys. The last time I looked at parrot toys was a while ago now, but I seem to recall that the swinging ones I saw at Pets at Home seemed a bit small for ex-batts. I certainly bought a couple of parrot perches (the wooden type that attaches to the sides of a run) for my hens over the years but they never seemed to last long - always breaking off at the attachment point. It could just be that my hens are a bit overweight or enthusiastic jumpers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Logs are a good idea and they would get used to them quicker than a perch .Chickens love different heights. I think toys are short lived they get bored with them very quickly . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickanne Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I bought T & L a treatball last year in a pet shop. I think it was aimed at guineapigs and rabbits as it has carrot decorations on it. You can fill it with treats like corn or mealworms and adjust the size of the hole that they can fall out of. The girls soon learn the food is "under" the ball as it rolls. They play football and beakball with it. It is a good way of eaking out a treat. It is one of the few times I am able to see that Thelma is top chook as poor Louise sometimes gets a peck to the side of the head during a match! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Omlet do a funny little yellow treat ball for chickens which my girls learnt to use very quickly and enjoy. I do have a swing which one of my Polands loves, but on the whole, I'd say that chickens are not too keen on things that move and also like their perches to be quite wide. They are conservative beings Home made toys such as a half coconut hung from a string as you might do for a blue tit, are much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisaroo2 Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Hey Shabbychic, what do you put in your half coconut for the chooks?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenthelibrarian Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 We bought one of those yellow treats balls for our chooks and they seemed to be getting the idea, they had it out on the grass, rather than in the run, and were knocking it about and enjoying the 'scratch' it dispensed. A couple of days later we realised it had gone missing from our garden, and can only assume a squirrel pinched it So: if you get one don't leave it out and about or someone else will come and play with your toys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Hey Shabbychic, what do you put in your half coconut for the chooks?? I don't put anything in it. I just make a hole in a coconut, pour out the 'milk', saw it in half and then using a piece of string and a good firm knot through the hole I hang it up, or just leave it down. The chickens love pecking out the white coconut 'meat'. It takes all 9 at least a day to clear one half, sometimes longer - but then they are banties. If you leave it down they have the additional fun of turning it over by mistake, and then trying to work out how to get it back so they can peck the inside again. When they have finished with the shell, I add it to my collection which I am using to make a border for my flower beds. (Cheaper than cobbles and looks quite nice - if you remember to take the labels off) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken deficient Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 I think chickens most enjoy doing things that they would naturally, like: - free ranging, even if only a small area with different plants and substrates to explore - scratching about looking for creepy crawlies, so you could give them an area of sand / leaves / dirt and mixing meal worms and mixed corn into it - piles of dried leaves or even shavings to mess about in - dust bathing, either in loose earth or in a home made dust bath - having a good vantage point to survey their surroundings from, even steps up to an old bench or tree trunk - sunbathing - you can only pray for that one! I've tried more specific toys, which seem to have novelty value, but in the end they still prefer a patch of dry earth and a rotting log! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted April 20, 2013 Author Share Posted April 20, 2013 Thank you too everyone who took the time to reply. I am loving this forum, I am new to this and still waiting for my girls so its great to get all this info before we take the journey. Thanks again xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted April 20, 2013 Share Posted April 20, 2013 Omlet do a funny little yellow treat ball for chickens I second this - we often have games of football (in the run or free ranging) H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MirandaW Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 Thought I'd add a pic of my girly Marigold on her handmade swing. She's so proud of herself, although it is my other girls Sienna and Emmeline who spend the most time on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 Wow - a swing - nice idea but mine all hate it if things move under them ! H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 That's a fabulous swing . If you have an Omlet eglu run, Ikea shoe racks make good perches as the ends fit through the holes in the mesh (you have to cable tie 2 together if you want it at the wider end). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 That is a lovely swing - so nice and substantial and your girly is clearly really happy on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken deficient Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 MIne had a swing, but didn't like it because it swung! I think a heavier branch like yours is a good idea. Now they have an old bench with a big branch cable tied along the top edge and smaller ones on the arms, like an adventure playground and they love it. After this thread, I got them a yellow food ball thing to put corn in. It tends to get monopolised by a few hens that then batter it rather than rolling it along, but it keeps them busy for a while! I forgot to say before, I also dangle an apple on a piece of string from the roof, which takes them ages to eat as they end up playing swing ball with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MirandaW Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 It's true that they did find it a little unsettling on the swing at first but we made sure to stabilise it so that it only swings front to back and can't twist around. I figured that naturally chickens would be up in trees so they should get used to the swing moving like a tree branch would. So far a few have been braver than others. Does anyone have any food toy suggestions? I read once that they like logs smeared in peanut butter. Has anyone tried this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken deficient Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 logs smeared in peanut butter. Has anyone tried this? not personally, no! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...