Chicken run decor

[Ridgerunner]

so it's not so blah in there.

This is for your benefit, not the chickens. Nothing wrong with that. The chickens don't care how pretty or tastefully decorated it is, but that can be important to some people. The chickens will not mind so have fun. Your enjoyment is important too.

so they don't get bored and really just different element of things

What I find most useful is things for them to perch on. They seem to enjoy perching more than anything else. I also agree with Aart that things they can hide under or behind can be really useful to avoid behavioral problems. It improves the quality of the space you have. Just have fun with that.

In Georgia you don't have to worry about winter but your heat index is probably well above 100* F right now. Your temperature may be. I've had chickens die when the temperature was above 110* F. Heat is dangerous.

Shade is important, as much as you can manage. That means from the sides as well as straight down. Plenty of clean water, keep it as cool as you can and a lot of it. Some of mine like to stand in water. Not all of them but some. They will poop in it so you need to change it out at least daily. I wet the ground down in the shade. Evaporation cools it. Mine like to lay on that cooled ground. Mine is dirt, no bedding. That might make a difference. With mine in this heat the dirt is not going to stay wet enough long enough for the wet to create a problem.

I have not tried this myself but it can be effective. Make a swamp cooler. Set up a fan and mist water in front of it. The water evaporating will cool the air quite a bit.

Don't create an oven. A nest on the sunny side of the coop might get really hot, especially if the heat cannot escape out of the top. If you isolate a broody, don't put her nest in the sun. A broody buster should be in the shade. Things like that.

 

[MommyGirl]

so it's not so blah in there.

This is for your benefit, not the chickens. Nothing wrong with that. The chickens don't care how pretty or tastefully decorated it is, but that can be important to some people. The chickens will not mind so have fun. Your enjoyment is important too.

so they don't get bored and really just different element of things

What I find most useful is things for them to perch on. They seem to enjoy perching more than anything else. I also agree with Aart that things they can hide under or behind can be really useful to avoid behavioral problems. It improves the quality of the space you have. Just have fun with that.

In Georgia you don't have to worry about winter but your heat index is probably well above 100* F right now. Your temperature may be. I've had chickens die when the temperature was above 110* F. Heat is dangerous.

Shade is important, as much as you can manage. That means from the sides as well as straight down. Plenty of clean water, keep it as cool as you can and a lot of it. Some of mine like to stand in water. Not all of them but some. They will poop in it so you need to change it out at least daily. I wet the ground down in the shade. Evaporation cools it. Mine like to lay on that cooled ground. Mine is dirt, no bedding. That might make a difference. With mine in this heat the dirt is not going to stay wet enough long enough for the wet to create a problem.

I have not tried this myself but it can be effective. Make a swamp cooler. Set up a fan and mist water in front of it. The water evaporating will cool the air quite a bit.

Don't create an oven. A nest on the sunny side of the coop might get really hot, especially if the heat cannot escape out of the top. If you isolate a broody, don't put her nest in the sun. A broody buster should be in the shade. Things like that.

Awesome advice. Thanks. Of course I want it to look like a cool habitat. But my main concerns are shade and making sure their not bored out there too. They have plenty of shade in the mornings but they will die from 2 to 5 pm. Unless I figure out some things to do. Not sure that shade cloth will be enough. I need a tree! Lol take too long to grow one though

 

[SueT]

I got 70% shade cloth and it provides good shade. It has lasted 5 years and is still in excellent shape. see pic 1 this is 5 yrs ago.

But shade is no longer so critical, as volunteer trees sprung up all around the run. Yes, these Chinese Elms are less than 5 years old....and they came up on their own. I think if we didn't mow, we'd be in a forest of them.

 

[MommyGirl]

I got 70% shade cloth and it provides good shade. It has lasted 5 years and is still in excellent shape. see pic 1 this is 5 yrs ago.
View attachment 2241527
But shade is no longer so critical, as volunteer trees sprung up all around the run. Yes, these Chinese Elms are less than 5 years old....and they came up on their own. I think if we didn't mow, we'd be in a forest of them.
View attachment 2241526

Wow wish I could find some fast growing trees or even bushes. That's awesome

 

[SueT]

Wow wish I could find some fast growing trees or even bushes. That's awesome

Pole beans planted along the run will provide shade this summer.

 

[MommyGirl]

Pole beans planted along the run will provide shade this summer.

I will check into it. Thanks

 

[ravensnow]

Have shade cloths and grow sunchokes outside the run to provide shade.

I also planted sunchokes outside the run! I had wanted them to be more of a wind shield in the fall than provide shade for the summer, so they're not planted in the right spot to provide shade. My sunchokes keep bending farther and farther down with the rains we've been getting. Do you have any tips to keep them from falling?

 

[SueT]

I also planted sunchokes outside the run! I had wanted them to be more of a wind shield in the fall than provide shade for the summer, so they're not planted in the right spot to provide shade. My sunchokes keep bending farther and farther down with the rains we've been getting. Do you have any tips to keep them from falling?

I prop up tall plants w bamboo sticks.
Other plants I have used for shade are various fast growing bushy weeds, such as lambs quarter, pigweed, Queen Annes lace and others. I just dug up weeds from the garden and transplanted, and some of them took.

 

[aart]

I also planted sunchokes outside the run! I had wanted them to be more of a wind shield in the fall than provide shade for the summer, so they're not planted in the right spot to provide shade. My sunchokes keep bending farther and farther down with the rains we've been getting. Do you have any tips to keep them from falling?

Have never had that problem, they are pretty robust plants.
Post a pic of yours and maybe someone will have a suggestion.

 

[ravensnow]

Here are the floppy sunchokes, with bonus lavender Orpington on the left.