Chicken Boredom Busters for Outdoor or Enclosed Spaces

  Рет қаралды 24,680

English Country Life

English Country Life

3 жыл бұрын

We look at some of the things you can do to make life more fun for your chickens whether you free-range them as we do, or keep them in an enclosure. Bored chickens can begin pecking each other so keeping them interested and stimulated in their environments is very important.
All of our suggestions are low cost or no cost with examples of any recycled and repurposed items we use.
Top recommendation shown in this video:
Omlet Pecking Toys (Poppy & Pendant): www.omlet.co.uk/shop/chicken_...
Other Boredom Buster Ideas:
www.amazon.co.uk/shop/english...
We breed Buff Orpington chickens and have kept them for a number of years.
We grow our own food on our smallholding and endeavour to be self-sufficient. Subscribe to see more of our life including self sufficiency videos, recipes, garden tips and chicken keeping.
Shop our branded merchandise on our eBay seller account using this link:
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/engcount-0...
If we're sold out or the size you want isn't available and you would like to be notified when more are available, please email us with your name, the product, how many and size you would like at this address:
englishcountrylife@outlook.com
Visit our Amazon Storefront to see suggestions for items we love and use on the smallholding including chickenkeeping tools:
www.amazon.co.uk/shop/english...
Opening Music credits: Artist = Earth Tree Healing
Composer = Claudine West
Website = claudinewestmusic.com/earth-t...
We earn commission from Amazon and Omlet Affiliate Links

Пікірлер: 85
@ashm5206
@ashm5206 3 жыл бұрын
It’s so lovely seeing the chickens living the high life in chickentopia!!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much 😊
@paramedicchrisbookseries
@paramedicchrisbookseries 3 ай бұрын
Awesome. My latest book involves a chicken, paramedic Chris and the runaway chicken
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 ай бұрын
We know a wonderful paramedic called Chris 😊
@christinaleite6588
@christinaleite6588 10 ай бұрын
I've had chickens in my life for over a decade and it's not often I come across "new" ideas. Your video gave me a bunch of 'em! Thank you for these great tips!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 10 ай бұрын
I'm so glad - thank you 🙂
@marymathis9299
@marymathis9299 4 ай бұрын
Thank you for the excellent content! I love seeing those lovely chicks playing in their "sand pile" as we call it here in the "Colonies" - that's really good stuff, I know they love having such a sweet home with y'all! ❤❤❤
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 4 ай бұрын
So nice of you. Chicks are always fun 😊
@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY
@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY 7 ай бұрын
Nooice! 😎 STOC We started free Ranging yesterday and it is magical!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 7 ай бұрын
It really is!
@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY
@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY 7 ай бұрын
@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you for the insights. I hope our chickens are as happy and safe as they can be...we love of growing flock so much we even decided to adopt, for them, their own LGD 😂
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 7 ай бұрын
@@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY What breed did you choose?
@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY
@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY 7 ай бұрын
@@EnglishCountryLife Well, please forgive my chicken ignorance as I am new to all this...besides the big 3 grey ones, the rest are all freebie eggs from a local homestead that we hatched. There are some Ayma Cimani and other chickens there that we are not sure of. So we probably have some cross breeds, but the Cimani's are gorgeous. I look forward to learning more about the breeds and trying to identify exactly what we have here. Thanks for responding and any advice 😎
@johncspine2787
@johncspine2787 3 жыл бұрын
Mine love the yellow balls..I put the Grubterra black soldier fly larvae in it, they figured it out immediately. In fact, the Cuckoo Marans figured out how to get the little tag of string to poke out and they grab it by that and shake it violently to get the grubs to fall out. I just ordered the other stick in the ground peck dispensers. I made a nice swing from a two by four. Putting the drinkers in an enclosure also discourages the wild birds from using them..not completely preventative, but, it’s good to minimize any contact or sharing of drinkers with the wild birds.
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Ours loved the yellow balls on flat ground but when the grass gets long they definitely prefer the peckers. It's so cute when the tiny chicks gather around it and the hen keeps pecking it
@snowlied
@snowlied Жыл бұрын
Seeing your chickens out in the field and still having a field full of grass is impressive. We've had to build them an enclosure cause they ate all the grass. Seriously our garden is all dirt now ( and it's pretty big )
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife Жыл бұрын
It's all about stocking density for us🙂. Our outdoor enclosure has a fence 200 metres long and we only keep a dozen birds in it when the grass isn't growing (more in Summer). Our covered enclosure is 20 metres x 3 metres and a similar number of birds destroy the grass!
@tootsweet2476
@tootsweet2476 3 жыл бұрын
I am so glad I found your channel, you are absolutely fantastic, thank you for all this great information!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Welcome! Thank you so much!
@JasonLZahn
@JasonLZahn 3 жыл бұрын
Always so many good tips and tricks in your videos. I wish my gals could free range but I live in a town and can’t have them roaming about. But lots of good ideas to help keep them busy. The suggestion to put obstacles and obstructions around is great. I will be trying that.
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
I'm really glad it's helpful :-)
@HelenaMikas
@HelenaMikas 3 жыл бұрын
Fabulous fun...I love chickens. They are such characters 👍🐔
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Always entertaining!
@bgtrev
@bgtrev 3 жыл бұрын
Enjoyable watch again, think you have stolen all our good weather!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it and sorry about the sunshine......
@hedgecomber
@hedgecomber 3 жыл бұрын
Blimey, Jonny's going to be busy this weekend 😆 Great video 👌
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks 👍 Tractor tyres????
@theallotmentkitchengarden3694
@theallotmentkitchengarden3694 3 жыл бұрын
I just ordered those from Omlet yesterday! Glad to hear they work and are sturdy as I agonised for ages because I don’t like buying new plastic stuff. Hope they can be reused for a long time!! 👍🐓💚
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
We're finding that they are really sturdy especially with the amount of hens we have!
@DL-by8el
@DL-by8el 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you my neighbors have chickens that I enjoy
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 2 жыл бұрын
Good to hear
@TheOldSwedesFarm
@TheOldSwedesFarm 3 жыл бұрын
Great video. You've got beautiful grounds for your chickens. Fun tips. Cheers from Minnesota!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much!
@susanbreeland8620
@susanbreeland8620 Жыл бұрын
Thank you, some really great ideas!!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed them Susan
@christicostas5825
@christicostas5825 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you Fiona! Great ideas 😊
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Glad you like them!
@raghuramselvaraj47
@raghuramselvaraj47 3 жыл бұрын
That's soo awesome
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@salidavies1702
@salidavies1702 3 жыл бұрын
Just ordered 2 of the poppy peckers, think ours will love it!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Honestly ours really love them!
@MsCherokee70
@MsCherokee70 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing!💜 I just ordered the treat pecking, hanging pendant, for my new chicks. I will be training my chicks, while they are young. By the time my order gets here, they will be old enough to use it. 🤗
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife Жыл бұрын
How lovely - new chicks are such a joy!
@mesutbayraktar765
@mesutbayraktar765 3 жыл бұрын
i love so much chickens because they so cute and innocent you taking care perfectly i can see ladies so happy and of course boys :) please keep posting for us vids i love your channel
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you
@clockworkNate
@clockworkNate Жыл бұрын
Innocent eh? Chickens can be super jerks lol
@mesutbayraktar765
@mesutbayraktar765 Жыл бұрын
@@clockworkNate yee you right :D but i love chicks anyway
@barbsdee3831
@barbsdee3831 8 ай бұрын
Just rewatching your boredom busting videos. What do you put in the omelet pecking toy. Great content as always thank you Fiona and Hugh 😘
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 8 ай бұрын
Generally whole wheat Barbs
@aseelpetstv
@aseelpetstv 3 жыл бұрын
❤🐓🐔❤
@stayfreestrongtv
@stayfreestrongtv 3 жыл бұрын
❤❤❤🌷
@ASmileAdayful
@ASmileAdayful 3 жыл бұрын
Found you on a search for, keeping Bantams! Would the poppy pecker suit this breed do you think. We pick three girls up next week😁. We're total novice, and finding conflicting advice on Google, for all sorts of questions we have😬. So thank you 😘
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Hi! you might need to shorten the "stem" but it comes in two parts so you could just use half or push it further into the ground. We have a whole series on Chicken Keeping for Beginners that you might find helpful kzfaq.info/sun/PLDluIIoNPsldJo1GHNzIyHupbMBgQue-p
@SarahFHJones
@SarahFHJones 3 жыл бұрын
These are great thank you Fiona! I have been binge watching your channel recently in preparation for our 4 back garden hens. We have considered many run options, however due to the uneven and sloped ground we have, it seems like it will beyond our DIY skills to build an appropriate one. However we are satisfied with their allocated area, a sturdy coop, lots of trees, overlooked by our kitchen, some shelters built (thanks to your ideas!) but I am nervous about birds of prey. Has this been an issue for you on the whole?
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Never had a problem with them Sarah. We have kestrels, sparrowhawk, kites, buzzards, harriers etc. but have never lost a chicken or chick
@SarahFHJones
@SarahFHJones 3 жыл бұрын
@@EnglishCountryLife Great to hear, thank you for letting me know. And thank you for your wonderful channel!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
@@SarahFHJones Thanks for watching 🙂
@DL-by8el
@DL-by8el 2 жыл бұрын
Sounds fun wish my neighborhood would allow them.
@francineclave2207
@francineclave2207 3 жыл бұрын
You mentioned using the chairs for your HEALTH INSPECTION. Would you show us how you do that? I am new to chickens, I know to check them for things but not how! It seems easy until you want to do it. Thank you again for your great video’s.
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
That's a great idea for a video. I'll add it to the list. The list is quite long so let me know if you would like some help in the meantime.
@christicostas5825
@christicostas5825 3 жыл бұрын
I would love this also! I'm so scared of trying to handle them cause I don't like freaking them out but I want them to feel comfortable with it if had to. I'm so scared of hurting them in the process of catching them. I'm around them every day since they were babies but they are still scared and act as if never seen us before 😩
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
@@christicostas5825 In that case the best time to pick them up is just before dusk when they have gone into the coop to roost. It's an enclosed space and they will be sleepy. The only way to get them past their fear of you us to spend more time with them. If you stop for a cup of tea or coffee, take a chair in and sit with them. Over time they'll get used to you.
@francineclave2207
@francineclave2207 3 жыл бұрын
@@christicostas5825 so yesterday after watching several chicken video’s on you tube I went out and practiced catching and holding my three birds. I wanted to get used to looking at them. One of mine has a perfect vent! I just knew. The other two have poopy but! ☹️ and I am so glad I decided to DO IT! Just DO IT! Turns out I found bumble foot on one girl and mites on two. I have started treatment and feel terrible I didnt do it sooner. Two of my birds dont mind being picked up but one hates to be caught. Practice, practice, practice. Its the only way Im going to learn. I have only had chickens since October and when something is wrong it feels overwhelming.
@francineclave2207
@francineclave2207 3 жыл бұрын
@@christicostas5825 go watch HOW TO HOLD A CHICKEN by sustainable poultry, 2:53 seconds long. I love how he ends…his vlog❤️🙌
@ryanmace7613
@ryanmace7613 3 жыл бұрын
What should I do if my chickens have ripped up all the grass in there pen, so it's just dirt.
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Hi! This video might help. Let know if you have any questions kzfaq.info/get/bejne/kMeFhrSe2Ku-kqs.html
@granmabern5283
@granmabern5283 Жыл бұрын
You could add gravel. Or else lay down a few wooden pallets, and move them every couple of weeks. The slats on pallets are spaced out so it will dry underneath
@MsSoul2013
@MsSoul2013 3 жыл бұрын
I see that your Omlet toy link is for UK. I take it it can't be used for US purchases via your KZfaq channel.
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Sadly not, but the toys are available in the US www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_keeping/chicken_peck_toy/
@forrestsmith3390
@forrestsmith3390 3 жыл бұрын
I have a 4 month old flock of 20 buff Orpington and a 6 week old flock of 11 guineas. Can I put them together in a coop with a 10’x35’ run without causing too much trouble?
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Hi, the RSPCA guidelines state that outside space should be large enough to cordon of areas that become muddy or damaged to allow the area to recover. Over winter the UK was subject to Avian Influenza Restrictions which meant we had to keep the chickens in enclosed runs. We had 8 Orpingtons in the same space you are proposing with 8 smaller breed chickens in a slightly smaller separate run. With this space we could meet the requirements to ensure the ground wasn't muddy but it took constant maintenance. I have no experience of guineas so I can't comment on mixing the species but personally I would be concerned about maintaining the space to avoid mud and allowing the ground to recover with 20 hens and 11 guineas.
@granmabern5283
@granmabern5283 Жыл бұрын
@@EnglishCountryLifeone way to maintain the ground is to lay down some wooden pallets over an area. Move them every few weeks.
@Bamboni100
@Bamboni100 2 жыл бұрын
Hi, I went for Buffs two years ago thinking they would be gentle and friendly. The three came together, lovely at first one had two babies, BUT I had to give one away as she was so violent to the other sister, the other two are also nasty to the two newcomers. I am baffled, any ideas? Thank you.x
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 2 жыл бұрын
Hi Michelle, that's never been our experience - its possible that it relates to the strain you bought or its a learned behavior. Do they have a lot of space to get away from other birds
@moonkiwi6402
@moonkiwi6402 3 жыл бұрын
I have the poppy toy, however when a fox got in to our run it obviously fell onto it or something, because the toy was bent out of shape. 😣
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Oh no 😲. Is it just the wire that's bent?
@moonkiwi6402
@moonkiwi6402 3 жыл бұрын
@@EnglishCountryLife Yes, so with some luck it should be ok!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
@@moonkiwi6402 Phew. I am resisting saying bad words about foxes!
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife 3 жыл бұрын
Thank goodness your chickens are OK
@maggiewatte7911
@maggiewatte7911 Жыл бұрын
Is there a minimum size for sand bath? I have old bee boxes I was hoping to use
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife Жыл бұрын
In our experience the hens need to be able to scoop sand up with their wings - so the wingspan of your chickens really 🐔
@maggiewatte7911
@maggiewatte7911 Жыл бұрын
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you
@EnglishCountryLife
@EnglishCountryLife Жыл бұрын
@@maggiewatte7911 Any time 🙂
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