Entertainment and hideouts in chicken run

[Richard Pryor]

Did a search but couldn't find anything resembling this thread. If so, please delete and merge or point me in the right direction.

After another member pointed out (rightly so) my run is too boring for my chickens and lacks hideouts for new members, I was curious about which sort of entertainment you guys have in your runs and how you provide shade and hideout areas.

Currently all I have is an extra piece of shed siding leaned against the wall, and turns out that's their favorite spot to hang out (behind the propane tank is a close second). I want to add more stuff for their entertainment and also provide shade and hideouts without breaking the bank.

Please post pics!

Here's my boring run.

 

[Trish1974]

If you have access to a woods look for large fallen branches you could put in their run for them to perch and play on. I just bought one of those chicken swings to mount on the underside of a large branch I have in their run; I'll let you know if its worth the $30!

 

[TalkALittle]

My birds make good use of an old picnic table. It's not in the run, but in my yard where I let them range. It provides shade, ample seating for preening sessions, and quick cover when there's threat of aerial attacks.

I don't think we need to provide them with "entertainment" as much as opportunity to engage in activity that will fulfill their natural instincts. Places to forage where they feel safe from predators, places to perch and preen, areas to sun themselves and dust bathe, areas to seek shelter from the elements.

How you fulfill those needs can be as easy as putting some pallets up on cinder blocks and tossing a handful of scratch underneath or throwing in a few flakes of straw, or as involved as building some growing frames and planting a cover crop for them to graze on.

The posts that offer "entertainment" strategies are generally from people with too small coops or overcrowding that need something to distract their birds from each other and prevent unwanted destructive behavior that results from an environment that is incapable of filling the birds needs.

 

[aart]

Grazing frames leaned against walls or blocks,
provide shelter for littles behind and perching place on upper edge for all.
3 2x2's stuck thru mesh offer roosting/'hiding' places.
Old clothesline frame in background is outside of run.

Couple of old deck joists screwed to 2x2's and set on concrete blocks.
Branch stuck thru mesh.
Anther 2x2 stuck thru mesh for roost.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have several large branches that give my birds a little vertical space (some are jammed into the chain link, there's another that's curved so they climb up and down on it) plus I have some garden beds in the middle of my run so they get to pick at anything that's growing past the chicken wire. My run is split so I've managed to regrow some grass in half of it as well, so I'm trying to manage that so they always have a little grass to dig through.