I need ideas for my chicken run!

[Bert96746]

Hey! I have 4 hens that are just over a year old who have been 100% free range their entire lives. Recently we've decided to fence them because my boyfriend hates when hes trying to work in the driveway and there's chicken poop everywhere. Anyways, they are used to hanging out in the bushes behind my garage, the bushes in my neighbors yard (they don't mind, I checked lol) and along a row of apple trees in my backyard. I'm trying to figure out how to "decorate" the chicken run to somewhat simulate what they are used to. The run is 20ish feet by 30ish feet. I transplanted a bush that's still kind of young and scraggly and tried to build a teepee out of branches in one of the corners of the run that they can hide in. I just feel like they need more clutter I guess. Can someone give me ideas or show me pictures of your runs, please? Thanks

 

[wamtazlady]

Some people add chicken swings. You can add perches or make a tree out of 4 by 4's. I have a 3' by 2' by 2" pan that I put water in during the summer to they can cool off by wading in it. You might also build a box that is 4 inches deep. Put dirt in the box and plant grass. Cover box with hardware cloth so chickens can not dig the roots out but can eat the tips as they grow through the hardware cloth. That is a wonderfully big run for your chickens. They are lucky.

 

[cluckadoodledoo13]

Hey! I have 4 hens that are just over a year old who have been 100% free range their entire lives. Recently we've decided to fence them because my boyfriend hates when hes trying to work in the driveway and there's chicken poop everywhere. Anyways, they are used to hanging out in the bushes behind my garage, the bushes in my neighbors yard (they don't mind, I checked lol) and along a row of apple trees in my backyard. I'm trying to figure out how to "decorate" the chicken run to somewhat simulate what they are used to. The run is 20ish feet by 30ish feet. I transplanted a bush that's still kind of young and scraggly and tried to build a teepee out of branches in one of the corners of the run that they can hide in. I just feel like they need more clutter I guess. Can someone give me ideas or show me pictures of your runs, please? Thanks

I ideally wanted to free range mine and was going to put them in a neighbours field. When that fell through i designed a run for them. I make sure that the hen house is on the outside of the run so they have as much room as possible, they have multiple perches and a tree. (The trees definitely a favourite) You could even do something like attach a branch to the wire? I also have a swing that is occasionally used. They have little digs where in dry weather i put dry soil or dirmatcious earth. They have a feeding station which has a tin roof over just to shield it fr bad weather or sun light. Good luck with your chickens and they’re new run, hope this helped.

 

[aart]

No way it will be the same, but....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Bert96746]

Some people add chicken swings. You can add perches or make a tree out of 4 by 4's. I have a 3' by 2' by 2" pan that I put water in during the summer to they can cool off by wading in it. You might also build a box that is 4 inches deep. Put dirt in the box and plant grass. Cover box with hardware cloth so chickens can not dig the roots out but can eat the tips as they grow through the hardware cloth. That is a wonderfully big run for your chickens. They are lucky.

Well, I'll also have 3 ducks and 10 new chickens in there as well, eventually (6 are 8ish weeks old and 4 are 1 week old). I'm just more concerned with my 4 big chickens because they've spent their whole lives roaming freely and their freedom is about to be taken away lol I just want them to be happy and not hate me