Let’s face it, chickens are curious creatures. But even the most enthusiastic egg-layer can get bored if their coop life lacks a little…well… pizazz. Just like us, chickens need mental and physical stimulation to stay happy and healthy. So, ditch the coop blues and get ready to unleash your inner chicken entertainment director with these fun and easy DIY enrichment activities!

Here’s some DIY enrichment ideas:

The Foraging Frenzy:

• Scattered Snacks: Ditch the boring feeder and turn mealtime into an adventure! Scatter their daily feed around the coop or run, encouraging them to scratch and peck for their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hide treats like mealworms or chopped fruits and veggies in leaves or hay bales for an extra challenge.
• The Veggie Volcano: Take an old bucket or colander and fill it with shredded lettuce, kale, or other chicken-safe veggies. Hang it upside down in the coop, creating a veggie volcano that your chickens can peck at and explore. We have two sizes of vegetable baskets ready to hang in the coop.

The Climbing Challenge:

• Perch Paradise: Chickens love to perch up high. Install perches at different heights in your coop, encouraging them to climb and survey their domain. Branches from fruit trees are a great, natural option.
• The Cardboard Castle: Got a spare cardboard box? Turn it into a chicken playhouse! Cut doorways and windows, and toss some treats inside for your feathered friends to explore and conquer. Bonus points if you decorate it with colorful paints (safe for chickens, of course!).

The Pecking Playground:

• The Hanging Hay Bale: Stuff an old net bag or pillowcase with hay and hang it from the coop ceiling. Chickens will love pecking at the hay and foraging for hidden treats tucked inside.
• The Pinecone Piñata: Who says piñatas are just for kids (and birthday-suited llamas)? Fill a pinecone with treats like dried mealworms or crumbled cereal, then hang it securely in the coop. Your chickens will have a blast pecking it open and enjoying the delicious reward.

The Thinking Bird’s Playground:

• The Treat Ball Challenge: Repurpose an old dog treat ball by filling it with grain or crumbled treats. Chickens will have to nudge and roll the ball to release the goodies, keeping them mentally stimulated.
• The Hidden Treasure Hunt: Hide small containers with treats around the coop or run, encouraging your chickens to use their natural foraging instincts to sniff them out. Plastic yogurt containers or muffin tins work great for this activity.

Winter Blues Buster Bonanza

During the winter months, when Mother Nature dims the lights and buries the buffet of bugs and greenery, coop boredom can become a real threat. Here’s how to keep your feathered friends happy and healthy through the colder months:

• Fight Boredom, Fight Egg-eating!: A bored chicken is a mischievous chicken, and egg-eating is a common consequence. By providing enrichment activities and mental stimulation, you’ll keep your hens occupied and your omelets safe!
• Space Cadets: Chickens need room to roam, even in winter. If coop space is limited, consider creating a designated “quiet area” for the more introverted flock members. A darkened corner with some straw bedding can be a haven for these feathered wallflowers.
• Winter Wonderland Enrichment: The activities listed above are perfect for winter fun too! Think beyond the feeder and turn mealtime into a treasure hunt by scattering treats in the coop or run. Here are some additional ideas to get you started:
  • The Vegetable Pinata: A cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli hung by twine becomes a fun and healthy game, especially when filled with hidden treats (we even sell ready-made veggie baskets!).

• Jungle Gym Jubilee: Create a multi-level playground using perches, branches, or even ladders. Boredom will be a thing of the past as your chickens explore their own coop jungle gym!

• The Chicken Swing: Some chickens love to take flight (well, a short hop) on a swing. You can buy a chicken-specific swing or make your own using a dowel or log and some rope. Try our ready to go Monkey bars and Swing sets!

• Bale of Straw Bonanza: A bale of straw provides hours of entertainment as your chickens scratch and peck, searching for hidden goodies and transforming the bale into a flat landscape.

• Treat Roller Derby: A treat roller filled with scratch or mealworms becomes a hilarious game of “hen football” as your chickens chase it around the coop.

• Mirror, Mirror on the Coop Wall: Some chickens are surprisingly vain and love to admire their reflections. Prop up a small mirror in the coop and watch the self

• Create a dust bath

Chickens love nothing better than taking a bath in the dirt. If your coop floor isn’t already made of the kind of dirt the birds can bathe in (soft and fine), you can make one from an old tyre or kids pool. Check out how to make a dust bath here!
You can also add some fine food-grade diatomaceous earth to help kill any mites or fleas that might be living on your chickens.
Place the dust bath inside your coop and watch your birds have fun fluttering around in it.

• Pecking Blocks

Chicken pecking bars/bites are another great way to keep confined hens busy.
A hanging solid block packed with grain and other treats, chicken suet provides hours of nutritious fun.
You can buy these blocks pre-made ( Hanging Pecking Block or Health Bar Bite Pack ) or make your own using a variety of grains, seeds, dried fruit or anything else your cooped chickens might like, along with molasses to hold it all together.

For more chicken toys and ideas, check out the treats & toys section of our website!