By the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis
One of the great pleasures of raising backyard chickens is watching them roam, jump, peck and dust bathe to their heart’s content. From finding “new” items and running around with them in their beaks as the rest of the flock gives chase to laying eggs in the most unusual places, chickens can be quite curious, adventurous and just plain quirky. Hence, it can be very rewarding and entertaining to let them express those natural behaviors in the outdoors. However, while chickens are very good at entertaining themselves — and us — there are ways you can help your chicken’s quirky side shine through by the addition of a few extra toys (aka environmental enrichments).