ajm200 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I love watching the hens in the garden and have almost persuaded them to eat out of my hand. My little boy is smitten.. he runs at them squealing with delight and shouting 'ick' 'ick' 'ick' and talks to them through the patio door at regular intervals all day.. even my husband who hadn't been keen was starting to like them.. watching them while he drank his tea, going out of his way to visit the eglu whenever he was in the garden ..... THEN he walked through one of their messier droppings, got it on the cuff of his jeans and managed to trail it across the carpet that he'd just washed... He swore rather a lot... and asked me why I can't manage to clean up after them after telling him that people had reassured me that mess wouldn't be too bad. He's worried about our son getting covered in mess when he playig on the lawn I clean up every day with a trowl or dustpan and brush but haven't found a good way of cleaning up the wet, sticky, yellow, parcels that they sometimes do on the lawn. How do you manage? As a newbie, I've learnt loads from this forum and I'm sure someone out there has the answer that I need so that the girls can continue to use the lawn this summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I keep mine confined to an area around the eglu with netting we have a big garden so the chooks have plenty of room, wherever they are they will leave deposit, tell OH that chicken poo is great fertiliser but if you do confine them they will distroy the grass by scratching it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 A hosepipe will get rid of the poos you describe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Tell your OH to wear a belt so his jeans don't trail on the ground . Seriously though, I don't think there is a solution for the chicken korma poos other than confining them (the chickens that is, not the poos) . BTW, I'm impressed that your OH cleans carpets . I hope he does roosting bars too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Rip up your lawn and replace it with decking - much easier to spot the poo and hose down (sorry - that wasnt really helpful was it ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Had to laugh, your husband sounds like mine! He seems to be a bit of a poo magnet (dogs, birds - anything seems to attract itself to the bottom of his shoes). One time he was swearing so much and wiping his feet on some grass after treading in dog poo, he didn't look where he was wiping his feet - he was actually wiping more on from a different patch of poop! So I would also like to be prepared for any future battle and appreciate how to nip in quick (bit like Harvey Keitel)! Regards, Kerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Feed them some bokashi - it reduces the size of the poop dramatically. When mine were on holiday with my mum and dad the other week, mum fed them bokashi in their porrige and reduced the size of poop dramatically. I normally just mix it in with their pellets in the grub. The Bokashi reduces the size and also seems to dry out the texture of the poo (sorry - too much detail there!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Ranger Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I just find a quick blast with a hosepipe soon makes the poop disappear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flo Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I have garden shoes! I can stand in all the poo I like and then leave the shoes by the back door! My OH thinks this is silly but then moans at me when I point out that he has trapsed chicken poo through the house! Our garden looks like the Somme at the moment so poo picking is almost impossible, I'm hoping I'll be able to do that when the grass grows back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I have chicken slippers . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DW Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 AJM200 - Like you, I favour the shovel method for scooping up the more solid poos. For the sloppy ones (that they always seem to save for the paving right by the back door), I use a sheet of newspaper to 'gather' it up and stick it straight in the compost bin. Pretty yukky , but effective! D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Shovels are for wimps - a rubber glove and a pink tubtrug for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Really laughing at some of the above posts! I'm 3 and a half weeks in with 2 chooks and an Eglu and a run and a previously ok lawn and a hubby that wasn't keen! My lawn is also like the Somme in boggy patches and where the run has been every couple of days the grass is a bit brown, covered in discarded pellets and poo! Hey on the plus side the girls dig the moss out! I think when the weather is better it will be easy to rake up the poo and pop it into the compost bin with the used aubiose and other kitchen waste. I plan to hose the rest of the lawn and/or the poo when this weather gets a bit better. Yesterday, OH went to a garden centre totally on his own volition and bought a composter plus 2 patio potato growing bag things, seed potatoes and organic compost! What a splendid chap! I even heard him making bok bok cluck noises to the girls yesterday and when I came in from work this evening he had been home for 10 mins and was letting the girls out for a quick free range before bed - with treats!!! Bless him. He has trodden in a bit of poo but I must admit didn't get any on his trousers. I think he is thinking of the eggs as a positive as well as he is well partial to an egg mayo sarnie, (not that my girls are laying yet). I too have 'chicken shoes' that used to be my work shoes and in this weather they come in the back door, get scuffed on the back mat and left there! I've just ordered some lovely pink wellies from ebay for wet ventures around the run in the poo till we can either hose or rake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Shovels are for wimps - a rubber glove and a pink tubtrug for me! I have bought some 99p for 24 disposable gloves from Morrisons. Great for picking out the poo in the aubiose and the harder deposits elsewhere! Guess you can also get them from the petrol station for free as well! Just thought of that and rightly so as it cost me near on £60 to fill up today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 AJM200 - Like you, I favour the shovel method for scooping up the more solid poos. For the sloppy ones (that they always seem to save for the paving right by the back door), I use a sheet of newspaper to 'gather' it up and stick it straight in the compost bin. Pretty yukky , but effective! D. Can you put paper in the compost bin? We only got ours yesterday still not sure re do's and dont's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Oh yes . I empty the poo tray - 2 sheets of newspaper, mountains of poo and shredded paper straight in. (Keep reminding OH to "water" the compost bin but he never remembers .) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Oh yes . I empty the poo tray - 2 sheets of newspaper, mountains of poo and shredded paper straight in. (Keep reminding OH to "water" the compost bin but he never remembers .) I wasn't sure about paper as well! Great Why do you have to water it (sorry to be dim - first time I've had a compost bin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 When I say "water" I mean "wee" . Apparently it's a good compost activator . "Watering" the garden is also a natural fox deterrent (not foolproof though ). A quick google found this (amongst many others): http://www.naturenet.net/articles/organic/june98.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentle1973 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Feed them some bokashi - it reduces the size of the poop dramatically. What is bokashi, how much is it and where do you get it from? Sorry for all the questions Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Here's a few websites to start you off: http://www.recycleworks.co.uk/em-bokashi-wheat-bran-c-254-p-1-pr-16181.html http://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/shop.php?cat=Feed&sub=Chicken%20food&product_id=190 http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/foundcategory.lasso?category_id=16&-session=shopper:5CEBB20A07efc364FBONFF253D43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DW Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Yes - the odd sheet of newspaper is no problem in a compost bin....Just don't stick in a Sunday broadsheet in its entirity! Basically, the main principle of composting is to use a good mix of green and brown waste. See this link for the basic principles: http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/composting/index.html Happy composting! D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thanks for the composting link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...