Boredom Busters 3.0

We are in the middle of old man winter where the days are short and the nights are long. Now is the perfect time to increase activities for your flock. If you have a large or a small flock, boredom busters are a key to keeping your chickens from becoming unhappy. Here are my top five favorite boredom busters.

1. Forage Cakes. You can make your own or purchase already prepared suet cakes. They support normal avian health by practicing natural foraging with minimal waste. 

 2.  Create a dust bath. Using an old container or tire filled with soil topped with wood ash (wood ash can come from your wood stove or an outdoor fire pit. Any wood ash will do but do make sure it’s cool and dry) or you can use products like First Saturday Lime or Diatomaceous Earth. Adding this to your chicken’s run helps to exfoliate their skin, shed old and loose feathers, and most importantly to smother insects and parasites that may be living on them.

3. Adding a xylophone to your coop. Let the chickens make music while the days are short by adding a toy xylophone. They will peck the shiny colorful metal keys. This entertains my rooster often and he likes to hear himself crow and tap on the metal keys making music to his ears. 

4. Edible gingerbread house. ‘Tis the season to make a gingerbread house for your chickens. Why not make it edible? Make a gingerbread house with simple and easy ingredients without any candy. Then give it to your flock and let them have fun pecking it apart. I do this a couple of times during the winter months for my flock.

5. Give them some treats. Mealworms are a nourishing snack and chickens love them. They’re packed with protein and calcium. Give them daily for healthier feathers and stronger eggshells.  They can be added to a Peck and Play ball for extra fun. 

I hope you enjoy these boredom busters and creating a fun environment for your flock. You will notice less egg eating, less feather plucking, and less stress overall in your flock