DID YOU KNOW
backyard chickens love music and games? BRANDPOINT
If you have backyard chickens, you understand that your feathered friends provide more than just a steady supply of fresh eggs. Backyard chickens become part of your family and giving them the best helps them to thrive. From nutritious food to enrichment activities like music and games, there’s a lot you can do to make your hens happy. “Chickens are talented, productive and wildly entertaining,” said Scott Schraufnagel, director at Hen Up Organic Food for Chickens. “Backyard hens are part of the family and provide endless joy. That’s why chicken owners are going above and beyond to give their hens the best.” What can you do to make your hens extra happy? Schraufnagel shares three ideas: ACTIVITIES AND ENRICHMENT Chickens are known for their unique, endearing personalities. They are curious creatures that need mental and physical stimulation to thrive. Just like you would get bored with the same thing day in and day out, they get bored as well. That’s why smart backyard chicken owners will take steps to keep chickens active and engaged. Need ideas? Try expanding your freerange or run space. Add ladders, ramps, perches, stumps, scratch pads, swings and even a mirror. Add a pile of hay and watch them scratch and kick it flat. A sheltered dust bath space is like a spa for hens. Anything 42 | DISTINCTIVE PROPERTIES
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new or unusual will intrigue your chickens, FOOD AND TREATS so keep them guessing what’s next. From freshly hatched chicks to egg-layin’ ladies, provide your flock with balanced BONDING THROUGH MUSIC nutrition including essential vitamins, minDid you know chickens enjoy music? erals and amino acids that they need to live Whether it’s grooving to guitar, strutting to their best life. Hen Up makes organic, nonsalsa or relaxing to reggae, play some outdoor GMO food for chickens from ancient grains, music and spend time bonding with your superfoods and other ingredients you’ll recflock. Crank tunes during backyard chores ognize. or simply play music when enjoying the day Food also provides a great opportunity for with your feathered friends. You may even nutritional enrichment activities. For examnotice certain hens have music they prefer, ple, place food in whiffle balls and watch adding to their quirky personalities. as chickens roll and peck at it to get the To celebrate how much chickens enjoy delicious tidbits out. You can also sprinkle music, Hen Up presents Coopstock, the first food in hay or a pile of leaves nontoxic to annual backyard concerts for chickens and chickens so they can hunt for treats. Finally, their owners. Backyard chicken enthusiasts hang a head of cabbage or lettuce from a across the country are hosting these events rope covered in stiff tubing for a fun chicken starting Sept. 12. They will feature live piñata. music, themed decorations and much more. “A little extra effort can make a big difLearn about the events and be inspired to ference for backyard chickens,” said Schraufcluck out your own jams by following along nagel. “They’ll love these activities and you’ll on Facebook or Instagram. enjoy them, too.” December 2021
