Accessorizing Your Run- How to Make Your Run More Fun For Your Chickens

Great ideas! I am definitely doing the stairs! thank you!

All my hens have in their run is food, water, oyster shells, grit, and a couple perches. We just took down a swing that they never used.

I've never thought of such good ideas, so I am definitely going to try these.

Definitely going to try some of these. My flock used to free range then all the predators decided to attack (dogs, hawks, cats, and possums) so now confined to a pretty large run, but they need some excitement.

I free range in the back yard, so my actual coop area is kinda boring. These are good ideas to spice it up for the times I need to pen them up!

Good ideas!

Good article on adding 'chicken furniture' to a coop/run.

Thank you!

I have been looking for ways to jazz up the run for my hens, your suggestions are really helpful!

This has given me some great ideas of fun things to add to my chickens lives.

Chickens are amused by the simplest things! That’s what makes them so lovable!

We have only 3 Australorps and live in a wooded area with all the predators - Hawks, foxes, raccoons, etc. so a run was a necessity. In addition to the roosts, stumps and covered run, we put all purpose sand on the floor - makes for easy clean up with a long handled kitty litter scoop. The run is 10' X 14' and 6' tall with 18" apron around the base - there has been plenty of evidence of attempted digging but the girls are still alive and giving us eggs every day. We hung a wire basket from the roof and put greens in it to keep them entertained. Half inch hardware cloth used for all the run walls and apron. Thanks for this article!

All fun ideas.i have hay bales which my girls love and have made their own pile to scratch through here and there but I love the stair idea for some reason I ha not ever thought of hanging an apple for them. Thanks for all the great ideas!

Really great ideas thanks!

The vast majority of runs I see are bare soul destroying cages. They ofter have no other shelter options than the attached coop and even worse, a few are concrete!
Sure, a crowded messy run doesn't always look terribly pretty and when it comes to cleaning it's a mission.
Usually the first thing a mum tries to teach her chicks here is how to scratch the ground. Bare natural ground is a must in a run imo.
The more clutter the better.
Regarding the article, it would have been better without the apple instructions imo.

I like that apple idea and dustbathing in an old tire idea. The stairs are cool also. I think I might implement some of these.

Thanks for the ideas, especially about cutting up the hanging apple.

I like the comparison between 3 years of different conditions with the same flock, it's evidence based , not just a one-off observation. I'm fortunate in being in the Uk, so -11 is normally the worst cold; wetness is the biggest problem!

I don't know where to put the following ideas, so hope its ok to put it here!

I give my chickens (a standard Orp, & silver-laced Wyandotte, & 6 silver Sebrights) a conservatory, made from a 4' x 2' x 3' high wooden dog kennel, with a very thick piece of perspex for a roof. This ensures a warmer, dry place at cooler times, & a great 'chicken-spa' for socializing.

Inside it is on earth, with a large, high-side cat litter tray, filled with a 2"-3" -ish mixture of absorbent clay cat litter, dry compost & approx two cupfuls of diatomous earth. The weight of the cat litter keeps the stuff in the tray when they fling it about, the compost attracts them in the first place & the DE kills mites in their feathers. (I also put this in their bedding , sprinkle on housing & under roofing, & on the hens, as mites get everywhere. I've not had a problem with it over 20 years.) They also use the outdoor dog kennel & run when it's wet (the dogs aren't often in it!), which I designed to have an upstairs & downstairs, as dogs like to roost too! My chickens are free range & have lots of shrubbery & different garden areas to tootle around, & also the patio & 20' corridor when it's very windy & wet. Sorry I have no photo of the conservatory-it's old & not photogenic!

A nicely written informative article with loads of photos. Tips are great too.

Some good ideas here! Not only will the birds enjoy the new "accessories", but watching them enjoy their new toys will be fun for the owner too.