You can scatter insects, like worms and crickets, in the chicken yard for your birds to take. Alternatively, you can stuff a rotten wood log with whatever you have a bile. Chickens also like playing in fallen leaves, particularly if you toss some bugs or treats in them.
Mirrors: Adding reflective objects to the coop will entertain chickens as they watch or chase the dancing lights or interact with their own reflections. Hanging old CDs or small mirrors out of chickens' reach is a good option, or mount a sturdy mirror to a pole or post where they can see it.
Although chickens do not 'play' in the same way as a dog will play with a stick or a cat will play with a ball of wool, they still enjoy a bit of fun. Chicken toys are best described as objects that the birds can interact with - things that stimulate them, and that appeal to their instincts and natural behaviours.
Chickens require entertainment as well, not just for their happiness, but for their overall health. A lack of stimulation can lead to physical and behavioral issues for these birds, such as bullying, obesity, and feather pulling.
Try expanding your free-range or run space. Add ladders, ramps, perches, stumps, scratch pads, swings and even a mirror. Add a pile of hay and watch them scratch and kick it flat. A sheltered dust bath space is like a spa for hens.
Chickens love piles and want to flatten any they see. So, to keep them entertained for a while, simply provide a pile of something to level in the corner of their run – wood chips, straw, leaves or whatever you happen to use as litter in the run.
Provide Stumps. For some reason, chickens love to hop up and walk on stumps. As stumps rot, they're also an excellent place for chickens to find bugs — one of their favorite snacks. Including a few stumps in the chicken run or using them to border a path is a great way to keep your chickens busy.
Chicken Coop Enrichment: Make the chicken coop an engaging place to live by decorating it with perches at various heights, ladders, dirt-filled flowerpots, hanging mirrors and old cds, or making a forage box.
Like most animals, chickens can get bored. Just because an animal is well fed, has water, and a nice home doesn't mean they can't get bored (just ask my kids…).
Chickens tend to make a purring or trilling sound when they are content. They will also make soft sounds as they go about their daily activities. A sick or depressed chicken will make no noise. Alternatively, a chicken in distress will scream and make significant noise.
And bored chickens can quickly become a real problem. Egg eating, feather pecking, aggression, even depression - standing still staring into space, for example - are all examples of what can happen if chickens can't express natural behaviours(1,2).
Hanging an empty plastic bottle with holes poked in it is another free idea. Filled with food, these toys for chickens will encourage them to scratch and peck to get the food to come out. Boxes of shredded paper or leaves with poultry food hidden inside will encourage foraging as well.
Ground cover within the coop can be anything from wood chips, straw and grass to bare ground. Organic materials tend to break down quickly and plain sand is a popular choice for its durability. Whatever you choose, make sure the chickens may easily scratch and dig.
Manifestations of stress in poultry
Stress in poultry manifests in three forms: physical, emotional and psychological. Stress stems from single elements: toxins, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, dyes, antibiotics and basic synthetic chemicals in the air, feeds, water and cleaning agents.
The bottom line is organic matter, leaves, wood chips, grass clippings, kitchen scraps — all go in the run. I keep hearing about all these people cleaning up their chicken coop and run all the time, and I'm wondering if I'm missing something.
Most chickens prefer to sleep on a roost rather than on the floor or in a nesting box. And trying to do the right thing, many backyard chicken keepers provide roosts in the form of broom handles or round bars.
While they may not seem like the most obviously affectionate of animals, most backyard chickens grow very accustomed to their owners, often delighting in being picked up, petted and talked to in a soft and gentle manner.
Try the Radio. When loud noises are going on outside it can upset your hens and interrupt their zen. Whether it's fireworks night or next door is having a party, having a radio on in the coop playing classical music or a talk show in the background can soothe your hens.
Running out of water can cause unnecessary stress. Poor quality water can also cause stress. To reduce stress, give them a continual supply of clean, fresh water, and clean their watering equipment regularly. For more information, see our article on the importance of water for chickens.
As with deer, however, there are plenty of herbs that can be incorporated into the landscape that chickens will avoid. These include: borage, calendula (pot marigold), catnip, chives, feverfew, lavender, marjoram, Mexican sage, peppermint and spearmint, rosemary, sage, salvias, St. John's wort, tansy and yarrow.