Things to place in & around the run

[Vacco]

I am constructing a 20x50 run and wondering if there is anything that i could put in the run for the girls.
I'm thinking roost objects, plants or certain trees around the outside to provide shade or maybe something to pick on.
Any Ideas??

Thanks in Advance
Augie

 

[illegal avian]

Rest Stops.

 

[sydney13]

im building my run and im going to put some tree stumps in for them to roost on, a old sand box for dust baths and a few bushes

 

[kateseidel]

I love building little projects for the hens - they are quick and easy, and they don't mind if my corners don't meet <G>. So one day I built them a sandbox. They spend a lot of time in it, sometimes crowding in 10 at a time, or sometimes just a few get in and roll around for a dust bath. And they all love to sit on top! Scrap lumber put the cost at $0, and it took about 30 minutes. (They are ignoring the sandbox in this photo because I have just arrived with the results of the garden weeding).

 

[newchicksnducks]

I hope to get a sandbox in this summer for our girls. They love to roll about in the dirt

I currently have an old ladder built for our children's clubhouse (which is now lower, in a new location, and is the chicken's coop!) horizontally layed on mini-sawhorses. They love to use this roosting ladder, especially if there has been a lot of rain and the run is muddy. It's a great place to hang out in the sun. I recently placed two "shepherd's crook" plant hangers in the run. I was gone for the weekend and had someone checking on the chickens while I was gone, but they were unable to free range. I hung cabbage from one hook, and apples from the other hook. This gave them something to play with and a treat at the same time.

 

[teach1rusl]

I have different kinds of roosts for them...a big thick tree branch, a stepped roost with different levels, and just your standard 2x4 roost. I also have planted raspberries in there, but they're wired off right now to give them a chance to grow. If my girls were inside all the time (I let mine out when I'm home), I would plant some hard to kill shrubs like boxwoods in there, and keep the bottom clipped enough for the girls to get up under.

 

[SandyK]

My girls love their grass box.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4168551#p4168551

 

[laughaha]

Plant edible trees/bushes around the outside- I plan on putting the new orchard right next to the chickens pen for a few reasons- shade in summer, a good part of the trees roots will be constantly getting compost tea and be weeded, all bruised/bad fruit can just be tossed right into the chicken pen, leaves will fall into the chicken pen or be easy to rake and dump into the pen, etc. I'm thinking about planting some apple/cherry trees right in the pen and protecting roots with a chicken wire "mulch" circle to protect from digging.

 

[phaethona]

On the outside of our run I'm going for more decorative than practical, I think we're going to plant some small shrubs on the corners, and cover the chicken wire skirt with some seasonal silk flowers(for super low maintainence)

On the inside of the run, I'm going to put several more roosts(we have 2 but need more) I have a shade area and some sand for dust bathing. not much in there really, but they spend more time out in the yard than they do in the run

 

[Neilette]

I wandered off into the woods with a hand saw, and returned victorious with a chunk of fallen tree. (Thank the Lord it was dried and light timber!) The girls adore it as a roosting pole, and I adore it for its aesthetic value.

By the way, protect your fruit trees! I've learned that they will happily hop up and down all day to get to those succulent leaves.