Do you have chickens? Do you want to feed them and keep them entertained at the same time? Have you considered a fun DIY project that can check off all those goals? Consider using this hanging cabbage treat ball for chickens as a way to keep them fed, keep them healthy, and give them a little fun. Here’s how.

”When I'm, like, 30, I want to go off the map, have a family and live in Malibu with a farm, and just raise my own chickens.” - Kylie Jenner

The Hanging Cabbage

This fun little toy can keep your chickens fed and engaged
A hanging cabbage is great for your chickens. Source: YouTube

This DIY cabbage chickens love is incredibly easy to set up. It’s basically a plant piñata for chickens. Simply poke a hole through a head of cabbage, and tie a long string around that (or tie it around the whole head). Hang it from a tree or something so that it dangles at just about head height for your chickens.

The hanging cabbage is a great toy that can also feed your chickens. Alternatively you can always string up another veggie for your chicks. Here are a few that seem to work well, although you know what your chickens love to eat.

  • Lettuce
  • Broccoli
  • Zucchini
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Apples

Veggie Ball

You can make your own veggie wheel with this one
Create a ball out of any veggies you might have leftover. Source: Amazon

Another way to keep your chickens moving around and eating healthy is to make a veggie ball. Similar to a cabbage ball for chickens, this will make your chickens play a very slow, low impact game of soccer with an edible ball. It’s a great way to make sure they’re building muscle and gaining weight. Moreover it can be fun for you to watch.

Just use or combine the following items into a ball and watch the games begin.

  • Lettuce
  • Corn
  • Carrots
  • Watermelon
  • Beans
  • Cucumbers
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Tomatoes

Feeding Off of Pests

Chickens are still predatory in nature
Chickens are omnivores naturally. Source: Videoblocks

It may sound morbid, but chickens absolutely love eating live creatures. Not only this, but as much as we think of them as grazers, chickens are also predators of tiny animals. Your chickens will eat harmful pests like ticks, mice, mosquitoes, ants, fleas, and anything else smaller than them. You have to remember these things evolved from dinosaurs, so they have those natural instincts. So even though we all picture chickens eating cabbage, they are omnivores who could use a little protein in their diets.

Other Ways to Feed Naturally

Even stationary vegetables can be a treat for your chickens.
These plants can help out your garden and your chickens. Source: Garden and Greenhouse

You can also just grow plants around your chickens for them to peck at. Having your own edible garden feeds both you and your chickens, although they’ll be pecking at anything around their height. But a garden you planted can serve as a naturally replenishing source of food. So use plants for a natural chicken treat holder.

Here are just a few things that chickens seem to like eating fresh from the garden.

  1. Radish
  2. Lettuce
  3. Buckwheat
  4. Beet tops
  5. Kale
  6. Bok choy
  7. Spinach
  8. Comfrey

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