What to add to the yard/run?

[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.

 

[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