Toys for Chickens: Enrichment for Your Pet Hen

Toys for Chickens
Photo courtesy steve p2008 via flickr. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Chicken toys stimulate your pet pullet or cockerel. They provide entertainment to alleviate boredom as well as enrich your hen’s life with chicken coop toys.

Chickens are quite intelligent and love to play games. The toys they like fall into three main categories: food toys, bright toys, and perching toys.

Bestseller No. 1
Ware Manufacturing Peck N Play Chicken Ball Toy (3 Balls)
  • 3 Ware Peck N Play Balls, 4.5 inches each
  • Perfect boredom busting ball toys for backyard birds
  • Rolling toy holds tasty chicken treats such as lettuce and veggies
  • A jingle ball inside adds appeal and encourages healthy activity
  • Durable plastic construction is dishwasher safe to ensure the health and safety of your chickens
Bestseller No. 2
KAKUNM Chicken Toys for Coop 9PCS- Chicken Xylophone, Chicken Swing, Chicken Mirror, Chicken Flexible Ladder, Chicken Vegetable String Bag and Hanging Feeder
  • ????9PCS CHICKEN TOYS - Chicken coop accessories include: Chicken Xylophone*1+ Chicken Swing*1+Chicken Ladder Bridge*1+ Chicken Mirror*1+ Vegetable Fruit Skewers Hanging Feeder*2+ Chicken Vegetable Skewers Bag*1+ Chicken Toys*2. It is the best chicken coop accessories to keep your chicken happy.
  • ????SAFE AND HEALTHY - Chicken toys are made of natural wood and metal, dyed with vegetable paint, which will ensure the health and safety of your chicken, and will not harm them. Chicken coop toys for hens that can easily draw the attention of your chicken in a short time to play and chew.
  • ????MULI-FUNCTION - Chicken toys can make a relaxing sound and colorful toys can attract them to play, which are designed to offer an exercise opportunity for your chicken to keep healthy and fit. Chicken swing for run to improve the quality of life of chicken and have a joyful time.
  • ????FOR VARIOUS CHICKENS & BIRDS - Chicken toys are not only suitable for all types of small and medium chickens to use inside and outside the chicken house, but also for medium and large parrots such as macaws in the aviary.
  • ????THE PERFECT GIFT FOR YOUR CHICKEN - If you've been looking for a fun addition to add to your at-home chicken coop toys that's as fun as it is inexpensive, you're in luck. Chicken coop accessories will help you create a happy hen house with extras ranging from the essential to the whimsical.
Bestseller No. 3
5 Pcs Chicken Toys Set for Hens Chicken Bird Hanging Swing Ladder Toys for Coop Accessories Chicken Pecking Toys Veggies Skewer Vegetable Fruit Hanging Feeder Bag for Chicks Pet Parrots Stress Relief
  • Funny chicken toys set: you will get 1 wooden chicken swing toy, 1 chicken pet toy ladder, 1 chicken veggies skewer and 2 chicken hanging feeder bags, ample quantity can satisfy your family pets, simple to install and fit to most coop size, they can be hung on the branches or chicken cages
  • Chicken vegetable hanging bags: the chicken vegetable bag is made of quality nylon material, and the chicken veggies fork is made of stainless steel, durable and reliable, not easy to deform and wear, the hanging bags can be applied to hang large vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, etc., and a fork can hold corn and tomatoes in place to provide convenience for the chickens
  • Chicken pet toy ladder: chicken ladder swing with bell is made of stainless steel wire and colorful wooden beads, the crisp bell sounds will draw attention of chicken or parrot play on it, multiple chain composition is good for your pet to keep balance on it, will not easily fall off, and the hanging design makes it easy to install or remove the swing for cleaning
  • Chicken wooden swing: the chicken hanging swing with colored accessories can attract the attention of chickens or parrots more, inspire them to play swing toy, and when they fly up, the swing may swing from side to side, which will exercise their grip, balance them on it, and give them a pleasant experience
  • Practical functions: these chicken chewing toys not only provide fun for the life of the chicken, relieve their boredom, suspension clean food, can also attract the chicken together, enhance their friendship, sometimes also inspire their foraging behavior and fight, not only suitable for poultry, or parrot, birds, ducks and other animals, let them learn to feed

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Guide to buying toys for chickens

Chicken Entertainment: Bring on the Food Toys

Every chicken has a different personality, but all chickens love food.

Some of the most exciting games your chickens can play involve looking for food or getting food out of a difficult place.

An extremely popular chicken toy involves nothing more than a cabbage suspended from a rope.

You can find feeders that will let you hang vegetables away from dirt and hay. Experiment with squashes, lettuce, and other kinds of produce.

If you buy a suspension toy, look for something that is easy to refill, can hold an entire head of lettuce, and won’t break if subjected to pecking.

Another type of food toy is a ball meant to be filled with seeds. When pecked at, the ball rolls around and dispenses seeds from a small hole.

If you can’t find this type of toy meant specifically for chickens, try looking in the dog toy section. There are many heavy-duty treat dispensers meant for pups that will suit your chickens quite well.

Don’t forget to purchase multiple treat dispensers if you have more than a few chickens. You don’t want them to fight over just one.

Related: Who makes the best duck feeder? (ANSWERED)

Chicken Enrichment: Grab a Hen’s Attention with a Bright Toy

Like most birds, chickens are extremely drawn to shiny and reflective things.

Chickens also like things that jingle and move around. Look for key rings, pinwheels, and other sparkling and fun decorations.

Make sure all toys are safe to use. There should be no sharp edges or parts that can break off and be swallowed.

Children’s safety mirrors have glass that won’t break easily. Your chickens may enjoy looking at their reflection or pecking at the mirror.

Some chickens like brightly colored objects. Others like things that they can grab and move with their beaks. Balls, colored blocks, and small ropes may appeal to your chicken. Try baby toys that have been designed for safety.

Any toys intended for pet birds may be suitable for chickens. In particular, look for hanging mobiles or garlands of wooden blocks.

When shopping, look for toys that can’t be easily destroyed by pecking.

Chicken Activity Center: Perching Toys

A perch is something that your chickens can sit on. It raises them up and lets them look out across the yard.

Stumps, tires, sawhorses, and other sturdy objects make good perches and exist as good DIY chicken toys.

You can also buy a perch designed specifically for chickens. Look for something that can comfortably hold the weight of multiple chickens at once.

Many perches simulate a tree branch with a bar for your chickens to grab with their feet. Others offer a flat surface for chickens to stand on. Your chickens may prefer one perch over another.

A chicken swing is a popular type of perch. Some chickens love the gentle rocking movement of a swing. If your chickens have never used a swing before, you may need to help them become comfortable with it.

If you buy a chicken swing, make sure you hang it from a stable place. Check the ropes frequently for signs of fraying.

Find the best chicken toys in 2023 on Amazon.