bare run

[animallover2019]

I throw waste hay and lawn clippings into the coop and runs. I used to rake it neatly but now I just throw it in piles and let them rake it down themselves. Mine are also free ranging part of the time but sometimes they have time in the coop or run and need the entertainment. You can get a bale of hay at a feed store cheaply for lots of fun for chickens!

good to know!

 

[Folly's place]

As above; baled shavings, hay, straw, clippings, 'stuff'. No toxic plants, and not too much hay, straw, or grass clippings at once, especially in rain, so you don't have a moldy mess.
Mary

 

[LittleMissCountry]

As others said, planting anything is a waste, as they will uproot it before it even grows. When we built our run, we built it on top of plants and small tree seedlings, as it is in a group of trees. They had it stripped to bare dirt within a month...even ate and dug up the tree roots!
I second the recommendation of throwing in yard waste. I dump pine needles, grass clippings, dead leaves and small sticks in the run about once a month, and they love it!

 

[Willowspirit]

As above; baled shavings, hay, straw, clippings, 'stuff'. No toxic plants, and not too much hay, straw, or grass clippings at once, especially in rain, so you don't have a moldy mess.
Mary

Yes. I should have specified no more than a “flake” of hay at a time. A flake is an amount of hay that naturally separates from the bale. It’s obvious when you see it.

 

[aart]

If you want them to have something to 'forage',
make some grazing frames and plant wheat or oats or a 'chicken mix'.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/grazing-frames.73645/

 

[aart]

Also add 'stuff' to the run for hiding places, diversion, and enrichment.

 

[Folly's place]

Nice, aart!
Mary

 

[jthornton]

In the winter I put dried leaves in, I smash them into a trash can and make a leaf mountain, they love to tear it apart. In the summer I put a bale of straw in and just cut the strings and pull them out. They tear it down and I pile it back up, even in really wet times it does not have any issues.

As the leaves and straw get broken down I add them to the compost bin where all the poop goes.

JT

 

[aart]

even in really wet times it does not have any issues.

Under your covered run

 

[so lucky]

When I get rich (lol) I want to have a run that is large enough to divide so the chickens only go into one half, with the other half fenced off. I could let grass/weeds/forage crops grow for a few months, then divert the chickens there, while the other half grows.