What to add to the yard/run?

[KikiDeAnime]

Very soon my dad and I will be working on attaching a yard/run to the coop. It will be a really long yard/run so I want to add stuff to it like hiding spots or little toys for them. And by long, I mean that it will be longer than the coop.
I will get measurements of where the yard is going tomorrow morning after I feed the flock.

What do you suggest?
Can I see photos of what you have in your yard/run?

 

[black_cat]

Mine is still being set up, but things I have in my run, friends have, and what I've seen on BYC:
-Perches! Pretty easy to DIY using scrap wood. like a little roost bar for them to hop on. Really any height. Both my and my friends' chickens love it.
-Pallets! You can get them for free from many places and leaning them against the wall of the run makes a fun hiding spot.
-Old ladders. Wooden ones preferred, or DIY ladders. Super fun for hopping purposes.
-Tire dust baths. Old tires are the perfect size to fit a dustbathing chicken. Fill 'em up with a sand/dirt/whatever dust bath ingredient mixture.
-Old wooden adirondack/deck chairs or tables. Again, fun for hopping. They will poop all over these so don't plan on sitting in them.
Another short term one is a haybale. I gave mine one today in full bale form with the strings removed, and they were immediately climbing on it and tearing it apart. Now our run is all hay
Side note I LOVE your profile pic!

 

[3KillerBs]

Have a look at my article here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-“chickens-101”-articles-don’t-mention.76003/

I also have two plastic chairs that I leave in the pen, overturned when I'm not sitting on them so keep poop off the seats.

There are currently piles of pine straw that I use to fill holes and cover bare spots. Chickens love a fresh pile of pine straw or fall leaves to dig through.

In my in-town run I put a couple intact straw bales here and there to give the chickens something relatively dry to sit on during our warm, wet winters.

This thread is a valuable resource: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/#post-21588571

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Mine is still being set up, but things I have in my run, friends have, and what I've seen on BYC:
-Perches! Pretty easy to DIY using scrap wood. like a little roost bar for them to hop on. Really any height. Both my and my friends' chickens love it.
-Pallets! You can get them for free from many places and leaning them against the wall of the run makes a fun hiding spot.
-Old ladders. Wooden ones preferred, or DIY ladders. Super fun for hopping purposes.
-Tire dust baths. Old tires are the perfect size to fit a dustbathing chicken. Fill 'em up with a sand/dirt/whatever dust bath ingredient mixture.
-Old wooden adirondack/deck chairs or tables. Again, fun for hopping. They will poop all over these so don't plan on sitting in them.
Another short term one is a haybale. I gave mine one today in full bale form with the strings removed, and they were immediately climbing on it and tearing it apart. Now our run is all hay
Side note I LOVE your profile pic!

I already planned on doing perches and we have some left over pallets that we didn't use for our pallet fence.

Thank you! 2 years ago I paid someone to draw it

 

[black_cat]

I have a roost, an old wringer washer stand, and some cedar stumps standing up.

This made me remember-we had pulled out some shrubs recently and one had been clipped so it has some sturdy branches and a big ball of roots/dirt. We set that on its side so that they can hop on the branches and peck/scratch at the dirt, and it's been a success!

 

[NatJ]

It will be a really long yard/run so I want to add stuff to it like hiding spots or little toys for them.

Maybe tables, or things like that. So they can sit on top to look at the world, or rest underneath in the shade. And if they are free-standing, it's easy to rearrange and to take them out if you need to.

Also whatever you might otherwise put in a compost pile--dead leaves, weeds, vegetable and fruit peelings, and so forth. Lots of stuff to scratch through can help keep them entertained and happy.

 

[black_cat]

Also remembered that I've seen some people use old sawhorses successfully. I think that sturdy wooden anything that you don't mind getting pooped on would work.

 

[Ribh]

I have trees & shrubs ~ which they love ~ so don't grub them out if you have them; build around them. Chickens are rough on plants so you'll have a hard time establishing anything inside the run unless it's already really well established. I prefer my run doesn't look like the local junk yard so I'm adding stags, elks, & air plants that they won't be able to reach & decimate. Piles of anything: weeds, grass clippings, leaves, sand...I've even used sea grass. Perches. Old stumps.

 

[black_cat]

Thank you! 2 years ago I paid someone to draw it

Is it a character of yours? Or just a cat?

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Is it a character of yours? Or just a cat?

Yup, my character named Li. And he's a canine actually