Whats in your run?

[kylen2007]

Im looking for some fun ideas to keep the chickens entertained in my run. My girls (and rooster) are 18 weeks and we are getting ready to add another 15 hens. Im looking for ideas to keep them happy and not bored so they dont beat each other up... So lets see what ya got!

 

[kylen2007]

Today i put in a dust bath/sand box. I plan on putting in some steps i have laying around for them to roost on and a couple swings. The run goes around the back of the coop and we plan om expanding it too so they can go under my honey suckle bush

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

We took some tree branches and stacked them like so they have a jungle gym. We climbed on them ourselves to make sure they weren't going to fall on the girls. You can also see the sing I put in. I had to make adjust it lower and put a wider perch on it. They seem pretty entertained.

 

[kylen2007]

I thought about doing branches but my fence is only 5 feet. I already have two girls known for escaping on me. Lol. They never go far and out themselves away. Maybe i need to make my fence higher. :/

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

Ours is about 6 feet and has 2 layers of deer netting. No escaping. We live in the country and have the perfect space for free ranging but t one of my neighbors dogs are always loose.

 

[kylen2007]

We used to let them free range but now that they are starting to lay I want them to learn to use the nesting boxes. They also were getting curious and I was catching them roosting on the edge of my pool and were hanging out on my back patio. I love them but not the poop that they leave behind lol. So we decided to expand the run and for a few hours on the evening letting them range I just ordered another 15 chicks and really dont want to have 27 birds worth of poop on the patio or kids swing set. Lol.

 

[aart]

I thought about doing branches but my fence is only 5 feet. I already have two girls known for escaping on me. Lol. They never go far and out themselves away.
Maybe I need to make my fence higher.

Probably a good idea.

 

[kylen2007]

Probably a good idea.

Any suggestions on height? I read 6 feet is sufficient but idk. Lol. They're good jumpers

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

Mine is 8 and they could easily jump it but we have deer netting over the top so they can't fly out and owls and hawks can't fly in.

 

[kylen2007]

Do you get snow where you live? Im curious how well the deer netting holds up in rain and snow.