Scraps and foraging are a great addition to their diet! But to keep them laying for many years they need a feed that supplements calcium. Making egg shells will leech calcium from their bones and they’ll live short lives if they don’t have enough in their feed. I like feeding a mash of soy, corn and other vitamins.

Unfortunately good feed is more expensive than the chicken.

I have a few suggestions that have helped me!

One is doing puzzles, physical or video games. I like problem solving a lot since it keeps me from ruminating. Sometimes it feels really good to work on a jigsaw puzzle and just zone out with some music.

Knitting and crochet is another. Just be careful with your hands and neck if you’re doing it for a long time. There’s some great tutorials online and you can into it pretty cheaply with inexpensive yarns. Plus, you’ll end up with a neat blanket/scarf.

Complex cooking is another option. If you like food, try making some of the cuisines you love at home. The research and actual time into making stuff from scratch is intense. People who bake fancy bread end up spending a lot of time perfecting recipes.