Thank you! Chickens make such wonderful subjects. They do get to free range most of the time but this certainly keeps them entertained when they're stuck in the run. Even when the gate is open and they have the whole yard, they still return to the root ball for the dust baths and afternoon naps/sunning sessions. Now I'm thinking I should hide some treats in the nooks and crannies...at least during the winter to cut down on boredom.
Our SoCal winters are pretty mild so we don't pen our chickens. Still they like different things in the backyard. Next week I'll be pulling all the dead/dying tomato plants from one of the raised garden beds and then I'll turn the girls loose in that bed to have a go at turning, scratching, and dust bathing in the soil. They'll keep the soil turned over and soft until I'm ready to add compost in the Spring and it'll be like a big playpen for them for a couple months!