Toys, Obstacles, playthings for run?

[dbounds10]

I have heard from others here that chickens like to have things to jump and play on in the run. I have no idea where to even start with that. We do have a very large run for only 6 chickens so the idea of giving them things to play on is a good one.

Anybody have ideas/pics of things they have in their runs?

Here is mine:

 

[Player Hater]

they might like a platform or something to stand on, especially if there is a rooster

you could make it so they can also go under it for some shade

 

[Pharm Girl]

I painted out an old 4ft. ladder that had gotten pretty wobbly for human weights. They love to perch all over it. They also like stumps, simple plastic outdoor chairs (they will poop on them), and anything else that will get them up high..

 

[Pharm Girl]

Have you seen the chicken grass gardens?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I put two stumps in my run. The girls stand on them to preen. They also provide a bit of a place to dodge each other when one gets extra bossy.

 

[krcote]

I found a big woden elictrical wire spool- they LOVE it! They hop up there all the time. I like to drop treats up there instead of in the dirt. You can often spot them at contruction sites. I stick various tree branches in the hole in the top for interest. Then I went looking for bushes taller than chickens so some foliage would survive once the leaves bloomed. And finally, 2 root balls are excellent entertainment when I dump treats on them. Best part? All of these things were free

 

[Captain Carrot]

I'll upload a pic of it tomorrow, it's dark already.

I have in one run, a "tent" made out of long branches with a tarp stretched over the top, and more logs and branches piled up at one end. I put some sand under there. my chickens and muscovies love it. They jump up on the cross piece, or perch on the supports, the chickens dust bathe under the tarp, even when it's raining. It also provides shade and a dry spot to get out of the rain.

In another run, I took about 8 hazel saplings, cut the bottom at an angle and stuck them into the ground in a circle about 4-5 inches deep. I then bent them over towards the center of the circle and bent them around the saplings opposite. I ended up with a sphere of hazel. I filled in the gaps with smaller branches, also stuck into the ground.
The chickens in the run go inside for shade and protection when the hawks are flying, they also like jumping on top too.

I don't have any pics on the laptop, but I'll take some after work tomorrow and upload them here.

 

[sdeneen2001]

broom handle stuck through the corner to form a perch, old step ladder, odd shaped piece of concrete that I dug up in my garden, large branches that blow down. Rule #1, don't spend any money!

 

[scooter147]

Like others have said chickens love to sit on a day roost. An old bi-fold ladder would work well or two stumps with a 2x4 nailed between them.
I had a old wire patio table in mine until the tornado destroyed it.

 

[Captain Carrot]

Ok I took some pics. Hopefully they'll make it easier to understand what I was on about.

here is the tarp and branch tent thingy...

this is the back...

and from the front...

It's about 3 feet high, all the chickens like sitting on the top branch, and my ducks like the lower branches. Although they will fly up to the top too. I wanted to get a pic of the chickens using it, but as soon as they saw me, they jumped down in case I had some treats.

And here is the hazel igloo thing...

You can't really see it too good in the photo because of all the grass and plants in the run, but you get the idea.

Here is a close up of the saplings...

You can see how I twisted them around so that they stay put. It's stable and once the hazel grows it would provide more cover than it does now.