Post your favorite boredom busters and such for your chicken run/enclosed yard

[HenHouse Henry]

I hang a cabbage on a rope and they peck the hell out of it. I have a chicken tunnel that connects the main coop to another area that has a tire with sand and DE to take a dust bath. Also, another area has a bunch of logs and branches at different heights. I also grow oregano and chives all along the outside of the runs and coop.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

We buried an old fire pit (with a trash can lid to line it) in the run as a dust bath. Our ladies free range, but they'll spend hours in the run bathing, napping, and bathing some more in that pit.

I use two old tires as dust baths that the chickens love to bathe in! They will fall asleep dustbathing in the sun!

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

A good dust bath area is one of the best things you can do for chickens. Not only beneficial for minimizing bug/mite problems, but it is "spa time" for chickens.

Totally! Mine all love to use their tires as dust baths, or they like to take some under the shade of the coop in the summer where their misters are!

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

I hang a cabbage on a rope and they peck the hell out of it. I have a chicken tunnel that connects the main coop to another area that has a tire with sand and DE to take a dust bath. Also, another area has a bunch of logs and branches at different heights. I also grow oregano and chives all along the outside of the runs and coop.

Your run sounds super neat! I like the idea of having different zones! Do you happen to have any pictures of your set up, i'd love to see it (if you don't mind)!

 

[3KillerBs]

I just put 20 wheelbarrows worth of wood chips/leaves/etc in my mini-orchard. I left them in piles.

Chicken paradise!

Do you have any issues with them pecking fruit in the orchard?

 

[Show Sebright]

Fruits and veggies stuck in ice for the babies year round because it always hot here.

 

[luckycluk]

The perfect thing for the hot summer days! Mine personally love frozen grapes, watermelon, and berries!

Someone told me grapes are not good to feed chickens? I think frozen grapes would be great If they are ok to feed them

 

[kittyvamp1884]

Oh! It isn't in the run, but if you have a large run you could put one there. We do a kiddie pool set up as a "bobbing for baubbles" activity for the chickens.

Video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hYzmGz5BoCCYUncX6

Inside the water collard greens, kale, dandelion leaves, dried black soldier fly larvae, and whatever kitchen scraps I have lying around... Our chickens are terrible about drinking enough when it's hot out, so this gives them an opportunity to cool off, get a drink, and have some fun chasing around their favorite treats.

 

[luckycluk]

We buried an old fire pit (with a trash can lid to line it) in the run as a dust bath. Our ladies free range, but they'll spend hours in the run bathing, napping, and bathing some more in that pit.

I heard somewhere that ashes from a wood fire is good for chickens. Are they good for dustbathing or eating also

 

[kittyvamp1884]

I heard somewhere that ashes from a wood fire is good for chickens. Are they good for dustbathing or eating also

Oh yeah! We use a combination of food grade diatomaceous earth, fireplace ashes, and garden dirt to make up their dust bath. They love it!