Great new chicken toy!

[azygous]

Trying to come up with something to entertain the flock since they're confined to the run due to predators and my vulnerable garden, I came up with this little gem.

I drilled quarter-inch holes in an empty plastic Gator-aid bottle, any plastic soda bottle will do, and filled it with scratch grain. The grain slowly dribbles out as they peck and scratch at the bottle, rolling it all over the pen. It keeps them absorbed all day. And it's completely safe.

 

[mstricer]

Love your run. good idea

 

[devora]

There is a toy on the market that does this (can you believe it?). It keep 'em busy!

 

[azygous]

I noticed that this toy has kept all the hens so occupied that they never bothered to excavate their customary holes to China today. It has saved me some time I'd normally spend filling their holes back in.

I was concerned that the BOSS wouldn't make it out through the quarter-inch holes, but they managed to get it all out.

 

[citychickx6]

Going to do this in the morning!
Great idea. Mine make noise and they gobble up the scratch before I even get to work. THIS should keep em buisy.

 

[The Chickeneer]

Simple. easy. cheap. perfect.

 

[azygous]

Quick update. I decided the flock was getting too proficient at emptying the bottles filled with scratch grain, and I was concerned they were spending not enough time eating their layer crumbles. So I filled the bottles with layer crumbles today.

They weren't fooled. They knew that spending all day with the bottles was just going to net them some measly crumbles instead of the bounty of grain and BOSS they experienced the day before, so they lost interest.

I have no doubt they'd have renewed enthusiasm if I went back to filling the bottles with grain again. But I think I'll just let them have them for part of the afternoon rather than all day.

 

[tdmom]

Thank you for the idea and the pictures! Your chickens are beautiful. What kind are they? (I'm new). Also, what is on the floor of your run---dirt? Shavings? Sand? Thank you.

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

I'm getting ready to go on a week's vacation starting this Sat. so I got one of those large suet holders at Walmart and plan on stuffing it with cabbage, yellow squash and zucchini for them to play around with and hanging it up in the run.

I've got someone taking care of them for me too so they won't get too awfully lonely.

 

[azygous]

Thank you for the idea and the pictures! Your chickens are beautiful. What kind are they? (I'm new). Also, what is on the floor of your run---dirt? Shavings? Sand? Thank you.

Thank you for the compliment. I'll pass it on to the girls. They are a mixed flock of Speckled Sussex and Silver-laced Wyandottes, pictured here with a couple of my Ameraucanas, or Easter-eggers. I also have two kinds of Brahmas and a Cochin.

The floor of the run is sand. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's easy to keep clean with a cat litter scooper, and the hens as well as the rooster all love to dirt bathe in it. On hot days I wet the sand down, and the evaporation cools the air down a good ten degrees, and the chickens love to hunker down in the cool wetness.