crazygal Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Our girls seem to be doing a lot of droppings, or maybe we are just noticing because they are not out of the run yet! Now, my DH suggested that they might do less when they are laying eggs- could this be true or is he talking out of his ahem nether regions?!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 chickens poo a lot regarless if laying or not!! I've never known an animal poo so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Why would he think the poo less then? I would have thought if anything they would poo more as they tend to eat more once they start laying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 hubby said its got something to do with their digestive system, its a lot different to most animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygal Posted January 18, 2008 Author Share Posted January 18, 2008 I think he was thinking that instead of their food just passing on through, its going to be converted into eggs (now as I'm typing this I'm feeling silly) - haven't read up on how exactly eggs are made. I was told no question is too silly, but this one may have been a little too silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 is he talking out of his ahem nether regions?!! I reckon so . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I was told no question is too silly, but this one may have been a little too silly. Absolutely not! Ask away....it gets our brains ticking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygal Posted January 18, 2008 Author Share Posted January 18, 2008 I think I'll need to get another compost bin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I was told no question is too silly, but this one may have been a little too silly. The silly bit came from your OH so you're off the hook . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I think I'll need to get another compost bin! Yep! I started with one, now have three!! All full! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I started with one and now I have about 5 on the go. Mind you I also realised that as my grass cuttings fill a wheely bin after one mow I could possibly compost more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 WOW!! You still have to mow your lawn and you own chickens? Impressive. I've forgotten what grass looks like......... Chili xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 me too.... looks like I've had a rugby scrum on my lawn. "mud mud glorious mud" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Squelch Squelch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 My grass is hanging on by the skin of it's teeth Won't take much to finish it off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 Your girls are still very new, and my recollection is that the inital poo was rather runny and smelly ... once they have settled in, it should, er, firm up a bit! Get some hemcore. They will still poo as much, you just won't notice it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol U Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 Mine just seem to 'fertilize' the grass, but totally devastate all pots and flower beds. Only thing they don't touch is herbs, so I'm thinking of planting more rosemary, thyme, lavender etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 What's a "lawn"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Mine pooped like mad the first week they arrived. It settled down but the amount of poop still amazes me. We are are a "3 compost bin family" too. Definately echo the comment about hemcore in the run. I use Auboise about 1 inch deep on the run floor. Auboise is same stuff as hemcore, which I buy from a horse shop (look in the yellow pages). The poop is more manageable, you have to use it to beleive it though as you can't quite explain how it seems to dissappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygal Posted January 20, 2008 Author Share Posted January 20, 2008 once again- very reassuring replies- thank you muchly! I had a very satisfying Sunday afternoon- I moved the eglu onto a fresh bit of grass, cleaned out the tray into the compost bin,(not for the first time though I might add ) raked up the poop from where their run was too, put some hemcore on the new grass, AND let the girls out for the first time... they were clucking away- Molly the leader off on her own, the other two exploring the undergrowth that is supposed to be a flower bed!! So brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daywalker Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I think he was thinking that instead of their food just passing on through, its going to be converted into eggs (now as I'm typing this I'm feeling silly) - haven't read up on how exactly eggs are made. I was told no question is too silly, but this one may have been a little too silly. That almost put me off of my breakfast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henny penny Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Hi Congratulations on letting your chucks out. I got mine two days after yours and thinking of letting them out at the weekend. Did you have problems getting them back in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygal Posted January 23, 2008 Author Share Posted January 23, 2008 HI hennypenny- no- they all trundled in the first day on their own accord when it started to get dark (around 4.40 to be precise!). Yesterday I wasn't going to be around at that time so I picked up 2 of them successfully and put them back in their run, but Miranda the youngest wasn't having any of it- she kept walking away from me just as I was about to pick her up, then she got a bit upset the others were on the other side of the wire to her...managed to coax her in with some raisins in the end, at the same time making sure the other 2 didn't come back out again!! Good fun! The weather should be sunny the end of the week- that will be nice for yours...mine didn't seem to like the rain too much last weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henny penny Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Ooooh have you handled yours lots?. We've managed to give them strokes but a bit worried about them running off if i let them out. One tried to make a bid for freedom yesterday when i was sorting out their food. So not managed to hold them apart from when they first came Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygal Posted January 23, 2008 Author Share Posted January 23, 2008 Managing to stroke Molly (the oldest), but the other two are still a bit reticent about me approaching them...I gave them all strokes last night when they were tucked up in their eglu- as someone said on here they are much more docile and dopey at night time and seem more amenable to me. My children are really keen to be able to pick them up, and I'm sure we will be able to in time, I'm just adopting a softly sofly approach at the moment so we don't scare them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...