[sessyplum]

Hi everyone,
Im new to this forum and hen keeping so sorry if this has been answered before. I just wondered if I need to put anything down on the floor of my run? At the moment Its just on lawn which is not suprisingly lawn anymore. I have a big branch in there that they seem to like perching on etc and to be honest they spend most of the day pecking around in my garden. I just wondered should I put some bark chippings down or something and how can I make their run a bit more interesting for them for the few hours a day they are in there?
Any advice would be much appreciated
Sarah

[andreadon]

the ground sounds fine.
they like different textures and layers, so maybe drop a slab or two, or some piles of bricks?
ours have a table and a tyre as well as bricks and old concrete ballustrades (they stand on them) and some big chunks of wood.
and a ladder
and a shelf (actually, they have two shelves - so they have three layers above the ground because the table and the shelves are all at different heights) they like to jump (or fly) from one to another.
Today, I was claening up some poo on the table and Rita decided she wanted to jump from the shelf onto the table , but she couldn't get past me - no warning - she just flew down and scratched my face to bits! it really hurt! 
they also have some branches high up screwed into the wall to make a perch.

[Rubellite]

I have a row of bricks outside the shed door which were my stepping stones when we had a mudbath through the winter. I sit in the doorway and lift the bricks one by one for the girls who love to eat the worms that are near to the surface beneath the bricks
What great timewasters they are!!
 

[janeheritage]

Adreadon, your run sounds like a pleasure dome for chickens! Lucky girls!

[grumpydad]

we have a thick layer of bark chippings down, so they can scratch for their treats, corn etc in the afternoon, they also dig deep holes to sunbathe in, when they have gone to bed it is easy to use the hose to wash away the runny poos

martyn

[sessyplum]

Thank you all very much for your advice..  what a lot of lucky chickens you all have. Heart breaking to think about the zillions more who arn't so lucky.  Ive always been a free range organic girl but it brings it home even more when you get some hens for yourself and you find out for real what amazing little personalitys they have. I love them to bits! and they give me yummy eggs too.