Things to entertain chucks and turkeys!

[Amy]

I have sectioned off a good portion of my garden for my chickens and turkeys but I want to give them some things to do. Does anyone know what might entertain them other than food???
Do they like climbinbg on things? Didnt know whether to get some fallen trees and make a climbing frame?
Have planted 3x bushes but they seem to just want to eat them. 07

 

[tygrysek75]

Hi,you may try to put a mirror for them or to hang few CD's.I have also seen in pet store plastic ball with some holes in it-you pot some food in it-they roll they peck and food slowely come out.Fill old car tyre with sand for them.They also like high places so you can construct simple frame to sit and relax.Seems to me like you have a lot's of free time on your hand

 

[Amy]

Im just a sucker for happy chucks! My husband built a ladder the other month to the chicken hut roof and they love climbing up it!
And when I said Id planted bushes...I actually meant 'he'!!! I just watch! 08
Thought I (again 'he') could build some hidey holes using old trees and a climbing frame...he doesnt know it yet though! I also need a turkey shelter for when it rains!!! Lol...he is going to be busy I think!!

 

[tygrysek75]

Ha,ha,ha it is so bad to be handy Andy.Give a man a rest or he eat all the chickens,ha,ha,ha
Jokes a side,wish my husband was so willing to do around.He's a builder and sooo busy with the work for a long time,that I had to build chicken house and run with a bit of his help.At least I had all the power tools.
Sounds like you have very ambitius project on yours hands,good luck and post some pictures

 

[animartco]

Hi,you may try to put a mirror for them or to hang few CD's.I have also seen in pet store plastic ball with some holes in it-you pot some food in it-they roll they peck and food slowely come out.Fill old car tyre with sand for them.They also like high places so you can construct simple frame to sit and relax.Seems to me like you have a lot's of free time on your hand

Hi Tygrysek. I once had a slippery enamel top leaning aginst the house wall and one little cockerel decided to use it as a slide. he was running up it like a hamster on a wheel and sliding down as fast as he ran. Only that one though.
The thing that chicken like most is for you to dig some of their ground up. All chucks should have a patch of soft earth to bathe in, and this should be changed as often as is practical. Newly dug ground is always a huge attraction. they will get very excited and dive on it,making it difficult for you to dig.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi. Ours like roaming around looking for insects but most of all like a soil bath. An area of dry fine soil always attracts them. They bath presumably because they get rid of parasites that way -and pass them on to all the others as well I expect. I think for chickens a soil bath is their ultimate pleasure and quite often they are completely oblivious to the rest of the world, even corn placed under their beak goes unnoticed.
They may not be eating the bushes as such but any tiny insects on it. Their eyesight is far better than ours. I've seen ours eating a conifer hedge which turned out later to be infested with microscopic aphids.

 

[Amy]

Ha ha! I might try making a slide!! I can just see my stag turkey whizzing down it! Very amusing!
I must admit as soon as my husband digs up the earth they pounce on him making everything 10x more difficult as weilding a spade whilst copious amounts of chucks are in the way is not the easiest task!
A soil bath it is...I love my chucks so much I love watching them have fun!!!