Chicken Enrichment: 10 Ideas for Toys and Entertainment

Backyard chickens need life enrichment too! You can make a chicken jungle gym with some affordable items, and possibly with some things you already have at home. Chicken keeping is about to get more fun because soon you'll have chickens living their best life with their new chicken toys.

You don't have to go all out with a chicken playground, but here are 10 toys for chickens your pet chickens will have a ball with.

1. Xylophone

Place some chicken treats on the xylophone so your chickens have to peck the xylophone. Once they realize sound comes from the xylophone, they'll be pecking to combat coop boredom. This is going to provide hours of entertainment!

Get it here for $13.67.

2. Chicken harness

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfehe3cDnGP/

You can take just about any animal on a walk. Cats, rabbits, you name it!

Get it here for $16.95.

3. Swing set

DIY chicken swings are popular chicken toys. Build one from rope and lumber or get a trapeze bar and tie it to a tree for the ultimate boredom buster.

Get it here for $34.20.

4. Seesaw

If goats enjoy seesaws, I'm sure backyard chickens do as well! If you have a handyman in your life, they can probably build your chickens a little seesaw, otherwise, Walmart has a small seesaw available online.

Get it here for $29.99.

5. Dust bath

A dust bath is an activity for chickens! Tires and kiddie pools are ideal for this activity. Although, you can get super creative with tires. Used tires are on the top of supplies lists for goat playgrounds, and they can make a great bird toy for chickens.

Get them here for $22.26.

6. Hanging cabbage

You can never go wrong with food toys. All you need is cabbage, rope, and a drill! Here's how to hang cabbage for your chicken coop.

7. DIY chicken stroller

If cats and dogs can enjoy a nice walk in a stroller I don't see an issue with chickens in them! This is beyond adorable.

8. Mealworm farm

Bird feeders can be expensive, but here's a crafty DIY treat dispenser. Chickens love their mealworms! Create a mealworm farm with a drawer organizer.

Get it here for $10.97.

9. Frozen treats

Well, that's one way to get your backyard flock to eat their veggies. Look at this flock! All over a block of ice! These frozen chicken treats must have been a hit. For some frozen chicken treat recipes, check out Raising Happy Chickens. Seems like chickens enjoy a break from the old chicken feeder.

Get it here for $11.88.

10. CDs

Here's one of the best toys yet. Chickens like the patterns that CDs make from the sun reflecting its light. Shiny things are nice to look at! Hang some old CDs up in the coop. Plus, it's great for predator protection from hawks.

Get some here for $8.95.

Y'all! I can't get over chickens on swings. This is amazing. Keeping chickens from getting bored doesn't have to be expensive. A lot of great affordable toys can be purchased online, or you can build chicken toys from scratch!

For more chicken toys, visit Amazon. Your free range chickens are going to love their new toys.

This post was originally published on August 22, 2019.

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