In a land far, far away there are ponies who ride bicycles, cats who carry briefcases and chickens that play on swings.
Again. I kindda feel it's necessary to reiterate ... that land is far FAR away. Like, super-far. End of a black hole far.
Some time around Christmas a reader told me she'd like to send me a present. Well, not me actually, my chickens. She'd seen a Chicken Swing for sale and was dying to know if chickens were really swingers.
Well according to the website for The Chicken Swing, they are indeed the swingiest of the swingers. Swaying to and fro on their chicken swing. Here's their video proof.
The swing isn't only for the chicken owner's amusement, chickens get bored, especially in the winter and they like to have things to do. That's partly why they scratch around in the dirt so much. It's entertainment for them. The chicken swing is supposed to help combat coop boredom.
According to the manufacturer it's easiest to teach a young chicken new tricks so I started with the youngest chickens I have and worked my way up to the older ones.
This was going to be very easy because I follow instructions well and I'm very smart and I have a blog that shows people how to do stuff. So. Easy.
This is how it went for me.
Walk over to the swing with the tiny chicken and ...
... gently place the chicken on the swing while holding the swing steady.
Watch as chicken immediately jumps away and off of the swing without so much as the stink eye.
The little ones might just be a bit scatter brained so I head over to Sweetie. My 2 ½ month old hen who is terrified of air, let alone a swinging, swaying artificial cob of corn.
Sweetie jumped away so fast there isn't even photographic evidence of it. Ditto for Cheez Whiz and Josephine.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
That left Mabel who is pretty chill. The second I got near the swing with her, Mabel started back peddling into my underarm. I calmed her down, talked to her soothingly then slowlyyyyy moved her in the general vicinity of the swing.
At which point she flailed like a banshee, scrambled up my legs and ran under a tree.
So that's how that went.
Here it is in video.
I kindda knew this is how it was going to play out. A chicken isn't likely to just jump up on a swing and start whipping back and forth any more than a cat is liable to pick up a briefcase and walk out the door. So I went to the website, read all their tips on how to get a chicken to use the swing AND looked up the Chicken Swing reviews on Amazon. It turns out the swing gets GREAT reviews and you just have to be patient. Even then all your chickens might not use it but the adventurous ones seem to and they apparently genuinely like it.
I figured when I first saw chickens swinging that they only swung back and forth like lunatics because they were too afraid to jump off. Again, according to the Amazon reviews this doesn't seem to be the case. Chickens are swingers. Willingly.
I'm going to leave the swing in the coop and go through allll the steps outlined on the Fowl Play website very slowly to get the chickens used to it.
I will let you know when my chickens are officially swingers. Since they don't drive, I'm not sure how we're going to have the key party, but we'll figure it out.
Click here if you wanna buy The Chicken Swing!
Phylicia M
Ahahaha! When I found out there was music, I had to watch!
Amanda
i had chickens growing up and they would regularly swing on the bar that my dad had hung for me to practice my gymnastics stuff on. they were also fond of small branches that they could bounce on...so i believe it.
Jackie
OMG - I got your blog in my email today. Don't know why or how it showed up again. Lucky me. I never heard of a chicken swing but I love it. I hope your chicks adjust to it & find that it's a fun toy. The music was perfect. You do such a good job with the pictures - videos & music. I can't wait to see what you have for us next time.
SuzanneLH
I remodel everything...consider a carpet scrap wrap, or lots and lots and lots of Saran Wrap type stuff wrapped around the yellow plastic, to make it squishy and grabable. (Is that a word?)
Great video.
Nancy Blue Moon
OK then..if this happens to work out for you I will consider buying briefcases for my cats...who I am pretty sure will then proceed to make them into beds...lol...great video Karen!
Vicky Smith
I kept waiting for one of the big ones to poop on you! You know, scare the sh!t out of the chicken? For your sake, I'm glad they didn't.
Loved the music track, btw.
Ian
I already wanted chickens for eggs, but now that I know they can swing they are a must. I'll have a chicken playground, and an indoor/outdoor cat play space of life. You know the ones, where crazy cat people have a cat door that leads to a gigantic outdoor play pen. I will look magnificently lonely and it will me amazing.
Karen
You won't be lonely. You'll have all your imaginary friends. ~ karen!
Gretchen
Best. Video. Yet.
Ana
What timing! My dad installed a swing (a birch branch with some rope) in his coop and two of the chickens swing all the time! One chicken (my favorite, I named her George), started by getting a running start and then hopping/flapping up there. Soon, her bestie Ginger followed suit. The other chickens don't care for it, but George and Ginger are wild swingers. And it's so funny to watch.
Here's a photo for proof!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-XuH_TsPc2CM1RjU212U3NsT2VqNWtvVzRtZGE3c1pIb3Ew
Dale
Maybe a small item to notice but the swing in Ana's Dad's coop has a round wooden stick for the chicken to grab with its claws for stability. The flat plastic in Karen's coop does not allow the gripping surface that a stick has.
Karen, see if a stick swing works.
Melissa Keyser
What I don't get about this silly thing is the plastic! It seems slippery for the birds, and flat, so hard to grab on. If people really wanted to let their chickens swing, hang a stick from a rope! I have been tempted to try it, but there was no way I'd buy one. Plus the yellow and green wouldn't at all go with my rustic coop decor. You've inspired me to maybe actually try it......
If you're dead set on having them swing, my guess is just time. I have lots of branches and roosts in my coop for them to hang out on, and even those take a bit of time before they hop on them.
On unrelated, how do you make your videos and overlay the music?
Karen
Oh dear, " how do you make your videos and overlay the music?", lol. That's a lot more information than I could possibly put in a comment. I use mostly iMovie. It's really just a matter of fiddling around with it and getting frustrated and using it over and over again. Plus, I've been editing videos since I first got into television right out of University so there's that. :) ~ karen!
Lori
I had the same results with my little ones....haven't tried the big girls yet but.....I am looking forward to seeing them out there swinging away!
Ardith
Well, leave it to my brilliant husband to notice something key to the "success" in the seller's videos. There are no roosting bars in the enclosures. In other words, if those chickens want to try and roost, they only have the swings to do so. They are literally forced to use those swings (and as another commenter states, they can risk getting hit in the head when the swings go astray). Your chickens are too smart and well cared for to use the contraption.
Debbie from Illinois
Lol!!!!
Barbie
Ok, so I watched your video ...then the companies video! LOL Looks like you may need to be patient....I cannot WAIT to see if "your" chickens will swing. LOL Thanks for the great giggle this morning!
PS: Your video was WAY better! hahaha!
Linda in Illinois
Too fake feeling maybe for them, hard bright yellow plastic isn't real. Try a natural branch instead, lower to the ground to start, let them do it on their own time. Love the music and video - made me laugh after I got over feeling sorry for the pour chicks. ha
Debbie
Hmmmm....show them the website video maybe that would help. Barring that, maybe some duct tape?
leo muzzin
DUH...... of course they don't stay..... nobody stands on a swing...... try sitting them down!! LOL
If they swing, will the eggs be naturally scrambled? So if only the "adventurous " chickens will do it, does this mean that your chickens are boring? Sorry.... but I think this is your funniest post ever! LOL
Courtney
Once they get the hang of it they will LOVE it. I've been meaning to make my girls one - but they have improvised by using our #sokuswings
Charlene Brown
We built our own swing from a small log about 30 inches long and hung it from the run roof. It is near their ramp and often my Speckled Sussex will jump on it first thing in the morning as she leaves the coop. I've seen as many as three on it at once and often there are two. They discovered it on their own within a day. I am sure yours will too and soon you will be getting a second one!
Really enjoy your blog!
Jenny Brandon
Now you've got me started. I want to build a goat tire swing. Step one, find a tree they haven't debarked. That's gonna take a while. I'll let you know once it's up. I'm certain the goats will take to it immediately - that's just how they are. Build it and they will jump up on it. By the time my tree grows, I'll bet your chickens will be swinging. Good luck with that.