Do you think chickens would like a playhouse?

[Nicky S]

Don't laugh, please but I'm in full on run renovation and I'm wondering whether chickens would use a playhouse at all. I'm adding a large sheltered dust bathing area, compost heap and have plans for a tree roosting platform, as well as pallets, roosting bars, tires, swing etc. Yes, I've gone a bit overdrive, but it happens, right?! Building the run is turning out to be such an arduous and lengthy task that I need something fun to focus on at the same time . We have a very old playhouse we found on Freecycle years ago that's kind of big, and it's super open and doesn't provide much shelter so they pretty much ignore it, wander through but that's about all mostly except on very rainy days they shelter in it a bit if it's not windy. My guys have two Eglu coops which they use ONLY to lay and go to bed (they really don't like them much), and I'm not looking to convert a playhouse into a coop, but I was wondering whether they would enjoy using something like the photo attached, just for the sake of using it....could possible elevate it and put a floor on it? I found this one at a very good price for a playhouse so thought it might be worth giving it a whirl? Input as well as your favorite run features appreciated

 

[MadGardener]

A shelter for food/water/supplements sounds great to me. A roost would be a nice addition.

DH built me a "mobile chicken spa" that has a roost plus supplements, the girls love it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Don't laugh, please but I'm in full on run renovation and I'm wondering whether chickens would use a playhouse at all. I'm adding a large sheltered dust bathing area, compost heap and have plans for a tree roosting platform, as well as pallets, roosting bars, tires, swing etc. Yes, I've gone a bit overdrive, but it happens, right?! Building the run is turning out to be such an arduous and lengthy task that I need something fun to focus on at the same time . We have a very old playhouse we found on Freecycle years ago that's kind of big, and it's super open and doesn't provide much shelter so they pretty much ignore it, wander through but that's about all mostly except on very rainy days they shelter in it a bit if it's not windy. My guys have two Eglu coops which they use ONLY to lay and go to bed (they really don't like them much), and I'm not looking to convert a playhouse into a coop, but I was wondering whether they would enjoy using something like the photo attached, just for the sake of using it....could possible elevate it and put a floor on it? I found this one at a very good price for a playhouse so thought it might be worth giving it a whirl? Input as well as your favorite run features appreciated

When I had my big brooder inside my run (with no chicks in it), my chickens liked to jump up onto it, go inside it for shade, settle down next to it, etc.

So I can see a playhouse making a useful bit of run clutter -- maybe even as a shelter for a feed/water station.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

A shelter for food/water/supplements sounds great to me. A roost would be a nice addition.

DH built me a "mobile chicken spa" that has a roost plus supplements, the girls love it.

That has a lot of potential, actually - TY for the picture. I think I'd extend it with a flat roof in the front, then wait for the goats to hog all the space underneath it.

and now I can imagine having to build four or five of those.

Maybe I should not have been so quick to thank you.

 

[Battlepants]

I'd expect that the chickens would more see this as a place to hide than a playhouse, but if you were to set up a nice sand pit inside it, I could see this being a really good dust bathing or resting spot for a hot day.

I'd probably approach this more from a nice looking run clutter perspective. Yea, tipped over lawn chairs or an old dirty trampoline would serve the same purpose, but this looks quite a lot nicer.

On a side note, if you add some grips to the roof, I'd bet your roo (if you have one) would love to stand on top of that thing for his morning crow. I know my boy likes the stump we have in their current run.

 

[DobieLover]

just for the sake of using it

These are chickens. Not bored kids. You need to appeal to the natural behaviors of chickens.
Digging.
Scratching.
Preening.
Perching.
Dust bathing.
Sun bathing.
Flying up on things.
And of course, eating and drinking.
They don't like swings. Kids do.
They don't like xylophones. Kids Do. They'll peck them because they are shiny and then lose interest when nothing more interesting happens then it makes a funny noise.

 

[Sheepheart]

They would probably enjoy the play house. I have two small ones, a plastic doll house one and a smaller wooden doll house. They both are two story and open in the back. The plastic one I used do so many things with my ducks and geese. From an entry for a temporary run to nesting boxes.
Last year I Just had it out in the pasture they were spending most of their time in, and I would often time find the ducks jumping up into the second story, just because they could.
Right now I’m using the small wooden one as a nesting box for those ducks, and they have been enjoying it before they even started laying this spring. I would find one on each story and sometimes I’d find one on the roof. Now that they’ve started laying they have been climbing and jumping on it a lot less, pretty much it’s only for their eggs now.


On the comment of chickens are not kids, I unintentionally made my chickens a swing. I was attaching a new roosting bar in their coop and had one end tied up with twine while I made sure it was level and worked on attaching the other end. It’s now a permanent swing as my rooster loves rocking it back and forth.
Birds are also attracting to colors and things that do things, especially geese. I have a small collection of baby and toddler toys just for my geese. Their favorite are the stacking ring toys and one loves the toys that you clip up and when pulled on it shakes and vibrates back up. She will grab it, shake it and fully extend it, watching it retract and then do it again.
The pool ring sinkers are popular to. They like fishing them out. They run around with them. One goose will try to get all of them around her neck(so now it’s a supervised toy)
I do have a xylophone for them, you arnt big into it after they figured it out but the ducks like to walk on it and kit the keys with their bills. My ducks and chickens also love the little plastic cat balls with the bell or rattler inside. The ducklings especially. It’s like a fluffy soccer match

 

[countryladyNH]

Although this isn't in the league of an actual large 'playhouse' for hens, my hubby created this little "fort" with $1. worth of popsicle sticks from the Dollar Store a few years ago for our new baby chicks when they arrived. It was a "playhouse" for them and they loved it! They spent a lot of time playing in and on it.
Now, we have 3 baby chicks arriving tomorrow, and the little fort is already in the brooder for them!
I think chicks and hens love to 'play' with things!

 

[Nicky S]

I will be out of town for a week but if I rember I will try and video it when I come back

I'd love to see! Mine are scared of their swing as they are scared of corn on the cob (I'm serious, it sends them into a total panic) and the perch looks like a corn cob Idk why they did that!

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I think it’s a nice idea! I haven’t done it, but I imagine the could like it. Sounds like you have a very nice run for your chickens! Here’s a couple more ideas if you want:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-clutter-and-coop-‘extras’.76527/