Chickens are intelligent and therefore want to be kept busy.
A chicken coop alone is not enough.
Toys for poultry do not have to be expensive.
In Corona times, more people bought pets again.
Due to the lockdown, they were more at home and had the time and leisure to take care of them.
Those who call local green their own have even come up with chicken.
After all, this has many advantages: If you value self-sufficiency, you have access to a cheap and healthy source of protein thanks to chicken eggs.
Keeping chickens in the garden: five game ideas against boredom
But it's not enough to just get chickens and give them a coop with some free range.
Poultry also needs a lot of care and additional equipment.
This includes toys.
After all, chickens are very intelligent and get bored easily.
By nature, when they live in the wild, they are always on the lookout for food.
But when they are kept in the enclosure or in the stable, they no longer have to worry about this.
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So that chickens don't get bored, a sand bath can help.
© CHROMORANGE / Martina Raedlein/Imago
As a result, they begin to peck at each other or even riot.
So to keep them busy, you need to get creative.
However, these game ideas do not have to be expensive and you can even make some of them yourself.
Keep chickens busy: 1. Feed mesh bag
Rather than just throwing food in front of your feathered friends, you can playfully awaken their natural instincts.
To do this, simply put fruit and vegetables and salad in a small mesh bag.
Make sure it is tight and not too tight so the chickens can get the food.
Simply untie the rope a little higher up in the stable and let the bag hang down.
As a result, the chickens have to make an effort if they want to peck the delicious contents.
Keep chickens busy: 2nd ladder, poles
In nature, chickens flap, jump and hang around not only on the ground.
They are mobile, after all they always have to look for hiding places to protect themselves from predators.
They feel safe at higher altitudes.
Therefore, you should also provide variety in the barn and equip it with stones, ladders, plateaus, branches or poles to set incentives.
Busy chickens: 3. Sand bath
It is particularly important to ensure welfare among the hens when they are housed.
Then it's time to entertain them in the small area.
This can be done with a sand bath, for example.
You don't need a lot of space for this, a mortar tub that you fill with sand is sufficient.
Alternatively, you can also buy small sandboxes in specialist shops.
Keep chickens busy: 4. Scratch toys
When the hens are allowed outside, there's nothing they like more than to scratch.
They do this to find insects hiding in the sand and grass.
They prefer beetles, caterpillars or worms, which they then eat.
If there is a stable requirement, you can simply put a basket of fresh grass, hay or bark mulch in the stable.
This is already enough to stimulate the poultry's instinct to scratch.
Keep chickens busy: 5. Hiding places
If your chickens are allowed to roam freely, it should not just be a piece of lawn.
Instead, it is advisable to create shelters and small hiding places.
This can be, for example, a few plants or shrubs and a pile of leaves.
The chickens can crawl and play underneath.
List of rubrics: © CHROMORANGE / Martina Raedlein/Imago
