Helping your birds through containment

On 4 January 2017 the Scottish Government announced that the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone will remain in force until 00:01 on 28 February 2017, maybe longer. As part of the requirements of the zone, all poultry and captive birds in Scotland must be kept indoors or otherwise kept separate from wild birds, and bird keepers must also apply heightened biosecurity measures where practical.

So you have followed all the guidelines and are now faced with bird struggling with boredom?

Here are some ideas we have found that might help you.

  • Hanging cabbage, squash, lettuce, kale, spinach etc. from a string or bungee cord is a popular toy with a nutritional boost. If you can stick a skewer through it or tie a string around it then it is fair game to be hung either on the fence of the run, from the ceiling in the coop or anywhere else they might be able to play tether ball with it.
  • Interactive Treat dispensers. Anything from an empty bottle with holes drilled in it to cat and dog toys designed with treat dispensing holes in them. If you can fill it with some form of treat and poke holes in it so that the chickens can kick it around and peck at it to make the food come out then you have yourself a toy.
  • Dust Bathing Area. Provide an area where they can dust bath freely. Any bucket, bin, old tire or old paddling pool with dirt for them to bath in is perfect. It will encourage them to do their dust bathing in one approved location and limit the amount of holes they dig elsewhere for the purpose.
  • Climbing/Perching places. birds like to roost but they also like to move around and climb things if you can place something in your enclosure even just a chair that they can climb onto.
  • Mirrors. Use an unbreakable one. or old CD's hung up to catch the light and bounce it around the coop

Its a case of using your imagination and changing things around for them so they do not get bored and start in house fighting.

Hopefully this is helpful.

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