Chicken Dinnerware

I was putting treats in the run for the girls and they frequently wouldn't go for it.  Someone told me that I had to have a dedicated treat bowl so they knew to look there.  So I bought a treat bowl.

Yes, that is a Life is Good dog bowl.  I was using a paper plate before and one of the girls would enevitably step on the edge of the plate, flipping the contents of the plate right up into their face.  Causing all of them to flee, screaming and cackling.  The dog bowl is working much better.  They can pearch on the side if they so desire and it stays put!

Then I started to toss greens into their run, but they just walked all over them.  If I chopped them up and put them in their treat bowl, they would eat them.  But I was tired of watching my husband roll his eyes at me as I prepared our dinner.  And then the girls; chopping up spinach and gratting apple to put into their treat bowl.

I was at the petstore and found this seedcake basket and thought hmmmm....

It works brillantly.  I no longer need to chop up their greens.  The greens stay clean and off the ground.  And the next day, I can toss what's left over into the compost bin.

But let's face it, they are chickens.  And chickens want to scratch and dig and work for their food.  And nothing is going to grow in their run.  So I had to go back to the drawing board once again.  I was trying to think of something that was low to the ground and light weight enough that I could move into and out of their run on a regular basis and I figured it out!

These are the plastic flats that hold the 6-packs of plants at the nursery.  I had to add some screen to the bottom to keep the dirt from all falling out.  Then I planted them with a variety of things from Baby's Tears, lettuce, sod and the pots on the far right have Italian parsley growing in them.

I can toss one into their run for several days and let them work at it.  And before it's completely destroyed, move it back into the main garden where it can regerate.  This time of the year, they take a LONG time to regerate.  I'm hoping that this process goes faster when the weather is warmer.  Either that, or I need to make several more of these play boxes for the girls.