how to hang a cabbage

[Turkeyrun]

Hi,

we have more snow and cold than usual in Western PA and the chickens and guineas are staying in the coop a lot even though I have shoveled for them. I would like to hang a cabbage in the coop as a treat for them. What are good ways to do this with out purchasing anything special.

Thank you

 

[DelcoChix]

Here's what's worked for me...pretty easy, quick, and best of all, cheap if you can be a "MacGyver." I take a landscape nail (used to nail through those landscape timbers, 3"x4"'8' long folks use to make a border around gardens,etc.), basically a nail that's about 12-14" long with a diameter of maybe 1/4". I pound that right through the center/core of the cabbage with a rubber mallet (or a hammer if you don't have a mallet), jiggle it a bit, pull it back out, take some strong string, stuff it into the hole in the cabbage, hit the nail back through the cabbage, pushing the string in front of it. Sort of like threading a cabbage needle..once the string is through I pull it around the cabbage and tie it back at the top, hang it from the top of your run and watch the poultry pinata fun. Good luck.

 

[jomoncon]

We just too a metal clothes hanger, cut tone side, straightened it out, and pushed it through the cabbage. Granted DH did it, cause I wasn't strong enough.

 

[oldchickenlady]

I used a tent stake that I already had. It had a hook on the end already and I just pushed it into the stem of the cabbage and used hay string to hang it in the coop. I hung it up when the weather was very cold and windy and they didn't want to come out of the coop much...usually they free range so I haven't ever hung one before. They have really pecked it down, so I bought another one that I will probably put up on Monday.

 

[gryeyes]

I use an apple corer, and I have to push it through the core by whacking the thing through on a counter!

it doesn't go all the way through, so, once I get the corer out, I push it through the other side to meet the first hole.

Then I thread some poly cord through the hole, pull the cord up and tie a knot at some distance away from the cabbage. This way I can tie a knot closer, when hanging it, to make it at chicken head height.

 

[blueseal]

i took a piece of small metal rod bent a loop at the top of the rod stuck the other end thru the stem of the cabbage down thru the middle of the cabbage then i took some string i have for my hanging feeders tied that to the loop and the string hangs down from the roof trusses of my coop. cabbage doesnt last to long gets ate up quick by my 21 birds.

 

[1FastFlamingo]

I too just use a metal coat hanger. Straighten mine out good, wad up one end, and then shove the straight end through the cabbage until it stops on the wad on the other end. then bend the straight side and hang everywhere. It reminds me of a punching bag for my girlies!

 

[GAGE]

Quote:
This is also what I do, and today, I added an apple and a pear. It is there own shish kabob.

 

[LynneP]

And please avoid baler twine or string. Chickens eat everything and have been known to strangle themselves in it. I shred cabbage and bring a little down morning and evening, in winter, for the plant enzymes. I just fed my last pumpkin to my hens and I'm going to offer squash left from the garden, score the skin for them if you do this.