Page 32 - ALG Issue 2 2017

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Enriching their lives, not just ours
Most of us decided to keep backyard hens to enrich our lives. The idea of eggs plucked from the coop by wide eyed children keen to get their soldiers smothered in runny yolks and getting a step closer to nature, appeals to many.
We’ve had our second wettest winter in a series since 1910, we nd our hens have had to be con ned for longer periods of time this winter than usual. It’s no surprise therefore that online forums have been full of worried hen keepers seeking advice on how to mitigate the risk of boredom in their hens.
of wood or ladders will become a popular hangout as will a chicken swing. Vegetable pinatas made from cabbage, lettuce or swede hung just above their heads encourage them to hop up giving endless entertainment whilst hard skinned foods such a water melon or squash encourage foraging.
When using additional food treats to entertain your ock, be sure to manage this carefully. Hiding corn or scratch mix in wood shavings can encourage the natural foraging behaviour of hens and vegetable pinatas add solids to their diet. Using this feed
Living the simple life
A half term spent with children isn’t just exhausting but also helps you view things more simplistically. Whilst children can get bored easily, they are also easily entertained and our hens are no different. How many times have you seen a little one as happy with the box a toy came in as the toy itself?
Avoiding the boiling pot of boredom
Ensure that the hens have adequate individual space, at least one square foot per bird.
and the provision of vegetable matter means that the birds will need some digestive help in the form of hen-sized int grit. You will need to feed about 5-10g of grit per hen per week. Clean water will also be important as hens will be taking less moisture from the grass they would have been foraging outside.
Creature Comforts
Not just pretty from the outside, think about
As tears and tantrums at home upset everyone, in the backyard, a bored hen means bad news too. We all know the term
“hen pecked” right? The pecking order ampli es and you may see feather loss as your hens not only peck each other, but themselves.
It’s time to get creative, years of adverts making rockets out of washing up bottles will stand you in good stead for the next bit! Natural investigators and always looking for food why not
try wooden crates, dry straw bale, tree branches, piles of leaves from winter gardening, old tyres, upturned pallets, decomposing logs crawling with bugs to scoff and chase.
King of the Castle
Hens love to be up high, away from stalking predators, stumps
light- a safe house with a window that is guarded to prevent access and draughts, yet allows a good level
of light in is important, additional electric light can also help in the early morning. Evening twilight however, is important to have so that the hens can gradually settle down and roost-up for the night. Space - Ensure that the hens have adequate individual space, at least one square foot per bird.
Quality Time
Hens enrich our lives, studies show interaction with our pets, calms us, destresses, why should the same not be true of our pets? This can either be done through feed or if comfortable, handling them as you usually would.
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