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A talk with my neighbor made me question my whole coop setup
I was chatting with my neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, over the fence yesterday. She's had chickens for about 20 years, way longer than my three. I was complaining about how my four hens just stand around in their run, not really doing much. She looked at it and said, 'Chickens are foragers, not statues. That's just a dirt box to them.' She pointed out that my run is just flat, packed dirt with nothing in it. She said to throw in some leaves, a few old logs for them to hop on, and maybe a pile of straw to scratch through. I spent maybe 30 minutes yesterday tossing in some yard waste and an old cinder block. This morning, they were all over it, digging and pecking. It was like a different flock. I feel a bit silly for not seeing it sooner. What are some other cheap or free things you all add to your runs to keep the birds busy?
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blair_williams696mo ago
Mrs. Jenkins is a smart lady, I had the same lightbulb moment a few years back. My birds went nuts for a hanging head of cabbage, just tie it up with some twine. Old broom handles or garden stakes laid across cinder blocks make a great cheap perch course. Honestly, half my run is just stuff I was going to take to the dump, like a busted laundry basket they love to hide under.
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clairebaker6mo ago
My old pallet garden collapsed last year and the chickens claimed it. They hop between the slats and scratch in the dirt underneath for hours.
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