I thought this might be a good place to ask. I am nearly done building the yard for my chickens, and I want to make a merry-go-round. I have seen them on you tube, but none of the instructions show what to use to keep the tire up on the spindle. I have several tires to choose from (2 wheel barrow tires, and 1 lawnmower tire), and a piece of rebar for the spindle. But what do I use to keep the tire above ground so it can spin? I have several other ideas of things they might enjoy. They have been cooped up nearly a year without being able to play outdoors. I have odds n ends of things laying around, I just don't know what to use to make it work. I have 8 hens and two baby roosters.
Gosh, and I thought we spoiled our hens! Chickens don't need a lot to entertain themselves. If you can suspend an apple or melon from the top of the coop, they will enjoy jumping up to get a bite. Just make sure the treat is low enough that they can reach it without too much effort. I have a large upholstery needle that I thread with string and run it through the treat. Netting isn't a good idea since those beaks are sharp and a hen can eat some netting. They also like to chase things. Throw a handful of oyster crackers into the coop, or excess cherry tomatoes, or damaged tomatoes, zucchini, whatever vegetable you have. Under no conditions give them gin. They get rowdy!
No gin here... I do give them kitchen scraps, and leftovers, and tomatoes with blossom end rot, etc. I did put up a rod for them to sit on if they feel like it. You can look up chicken merry-go-rounds for some amusing videos and spoiled chickens on you tube. But the how-to instructions omit whatever holds the wheel up on the spindle. Weather permitting, I hope to have their play area finished tomorrow. We did get some lovely rain tonight which is good because we are in a severe drought here. I need to build the door, fix where the wire meets the shed so varmints cannot get in, and do some weaving on two sections of wire. I also need to do a few touch ups along the bottom so critters cannot get in that way. They have been cooped up nearly a whole year, and not able to play outdoors because of the raccoons, and their old coop was so rotten, I pushed it over. (I am 68 years old.) I think they are quite bored.
I got everything but the door done today. I need some 6" deck screws to put it together, and yes I have the L brackets for the inside of the joints. The girl at the lumberyard sent some kind of bolts instead and I cannot use those. DS can take me in on Sunday and we can exchange them. He will know what to get. I was so hoping they could play outside today.
Hmm. ALL of the how to build a chicken merry go round videos seem to be gone from you tube? There were a LOT of totally boring videos about chickens and other things.
Perhaps the chickens were embarrassed and had the videos removed? Whirling around in circles with your feathers ruffled doesn't project the image of ladylike behavior.
I googled and saw some pictures online of chicken merry go rounds. Told my daughter she should make one for her chickens haha
