Fun things to build for your chickens (ramps, roosts etc...)

[Audrey]

After two years of keeping hens in my backyard, I have finally got my coop exactly the way I want it. Its now 8 feet tall and super easy to access! I want to build my run so that my hens can use the whole space. I want to build roosts, platforms and ramps up the sides. Does anyone have any pictures or ideas on how to do this?

 

[SuziQ991]

Hi Audrey! Welcome to BYC! I hope lots of BYC'ers post pics, I would love to see them too.

 

[chicks4kids]

I'm sorry, do you want pics of the coop or pics of the run with those things??

 

[6chicks&aduck]

im looking for ideas too! i hope people will start post pics and examples soon!!!!!!

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Wynette (another BYC moderator) has an awesome "play structure" for her chickens. It's an old tire mounted on a sort of tripod of 2x4s (if I remember correctly). She says the chickens love to jump up on the tire in the winter because the sunlight warms it.

 

[urbanfarmer101]

I hung trapeeze bars. My chickens love to sit and swing on them.

I also took two strings and attached short metal skewers to them and use them to hang fruit and veggies from. I skewer cabbages, watermelon halves and lettuce. It is kind of like a teather ball. They really have a good time with it.

 

[patman75]

I have a few tree branches, a big rock and some rope with a 10 inch bolt with big washers and nuts so I can hang cabbage, zucs, carcuses and other things for chickens to nibble on.

 

[gryeyes]

I put a garden shepherd's hook in the run so I have a place to hang a head of cabbage on poly cord from it, for Tether Cabbage. Other veggies are just as easily hung there.

There's also a rather large branch section for them to climb upon. However, they are allowed free range of the yard, outside the run, so they have lots of things to keep their interest.

They do come back for any treats I put ONLY in the run, including Tether Cabbage.

 

[chicknerd]

Quote:
We had a huge wind storm a year ago. We have lots of old logs and branches large and small. When we built the run we had to cut down some trees. We actually cut them 3 feet from the ground. We then screwed in branches to use as roosts. The chickens love them. We are also making an A Frame with branches as the roosts. On one tall trunk we did put a little ramp for them to climb up to get to the roost. We also placed a few old tree trunks on the ground. We roll them over periodically so the chickens can get at the bugs on the other side.

I will post a photo later of the chicken run we call "Universal Chicken Studios" Our area is 16x40 for 19 chickens.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I love the hanging tire idea. I have one in the run that I put sand, DE, peat moss, stall dry in for dust baths. I have an extra one that I may hang.

I have large tree branches sitting on tree stumps in my run the birds love to climb and sunbath on.

I have considered building something up higher since I redesigned my run by adding arches of PVC and tarp to raise the height from 6' to 12' at the peak.