Do you think chickens would like a playhouse?

[Nicky S]

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.

Oh that's a good idea too! I was also thinking we have babies now that we'll have to introduce, so I thought it might be a place for shy ones to get out the way or something.

 

[Nicky S]

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.

Oh I like the sand pit idea too! As the run is in full view I'm trying to keep it nice looking as well as being interesting for them all. They get to free range a lot, but it's hard on the garden . Yes, we have a roo and he loves to get up high, though it'll probably be my adventurous little Austra white that discovers it first!

 

[Nicky S]

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/

Thank you - yes, I'm trying to make the run super fun for them so they are less determined to have free range of the garden all day. It's like they deliberately avoid the run area at the moment Thanks for the link too - will absolutely check that out!

 

[Nicky S]

Chickens love to explore buildings.

You're right - they love coming in our house too but that's a lot of clean up

 

[Nicky S]

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.

yes, we're adding dust bathing areas, plenty to dig and more perches. I was just wondering whether they would like exploring the house as they seem to enjoy exploring mine

 

[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!

 

[Nicky S]

Mine love to sit on their feeder shelter. The boys, especially, use it as an overlook.

Yes, I thought they might enjoy inside and out.

 

[Nicky S]

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

How lovely! I figure as long as we aren't trying to replace their natural behaviors with toys then it can't hurt. I see it as they aren't in their natural environment, so maybe a little extra enrichment is good for them. Plus I'd find it very amusing. When they come in the house they love to preen on the couch and explore every possible surface, and one particularly loves going behind my monstera plant. The ducks and ducklings sound adorable.

 

[Nicky S]

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's so sweet - my girls would love a nice sunbathing session in there! I like that it's mobile so you can move it to get the sun.

 

[Nicky S]

My daughter's pygmy goats love theirs, along with some lil' tyke playground equipment. The chickens play there, too, right along with the goats.

that's such a lovely image you've conjured up for me there!