Yeah I saw a blog post once that said bored chickens can get mean. Adding some stumps and a hanging cabbage for them to peck at made a huge difference for my flock.

Honestly that sounds a bit over the top. Tbh it's just old bran, not like it's gonna kill you. Ngl I'd probably still use it and just see what happens.

Yeah, that's a lot more than I thought too.

Heating clay with a propane torch sounds like a recipe for disaster. That stuff can hold moisture and might crack or even explode from the sudden heat. I've seen bricks shatter in a campfire from trapped steam. You'd end up with a mess of broken pieces instead of a smooth surface.

Check it with the spring scale like the book says every time. That Philly story is a good warning, but I've seen tight ropes cause just as many problems with binding. You really just need to hit that sweet spot in the middle.