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[Warren]

Hi all,

 

Am considering (or, more accurately, trying to persuade my wife to consider) an eglu & 2 chickens. My concern is that our garden layout is a bit odd & the lawn area is fairly small - room for an eglu & to move it around a bit, but not much. My question is, what destruction will chickens wreak on the lawn in particular & the rest of the garden (when they're out) in general - to what extent will they damage plants, grass etc.?

 

Many thanks,

 

Warren

[TAJ]

They do have to be managed, but it is totally possible to have chickens, grass and a garden. We started moving the run around on the grass, which was fine in the dry, but they want to scratch at the ground - if they are only on grass they will scratch up a patch of soil. Some plants they leave, others they will eat completely if given the chance - so do not let them near those.

 

I would suggest two things:

1. Find a local hen party - many people have small gardens and will show you how they manage their chickens- you can go along and ask lots of questions and see the day-to-day reality of keeping chickens (look under courses on the Omlet website to see who is closest to you).

 

2. Have a look at this photo - http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii49/TAJchicks/IMG_1890.jpg As you can see the Eglu/run is on the patio (sometimes we have it on the grass), but we then use the omlet netting so they can 'free range' in a section of grass and I have given them half an empty flower bed, which is where they scratch, dust bath, sun bath, etc.

 

I highly recommend chicken keeping and I am sure a hen party would reassure you both that they are totally manageble iin a garden.

 

Tracy

[MaxBaz]

I've only had mine for 6 weeks, and I admit that they have managed to remove 90% of the foliage in our quince tree (10% survived ONLY because it was too high to reach) plus everything else in their run - they have destroyed the ghastly ground elder which we have never managed to do in 15 years.

 

However, despite the lack of vegetation now, I can only re-iterate what lots of people have said in that they are just such delightful creatures and so much fun to watch, you kinda don't really mind because they really make you feel so happy watching them fuss around.

 

Admittedly I don't have ours on grass/lawn - they have their run on a flower bed so it isn't so obvious as it would be on an expanse of grass.

 

Where ever you keep them - you will so enjoy it!

[surferdog]

Hi Warren, we've done the same as Taj - restricted them to a part of the garden that we want 'cleared'. We did originally give them free run of the garden but a few days before they started to lay they began to systematically destroy the garden! Our garden is tiny and I didn't want to surrenderr it entirely to chooks!

 

They haven't dug up any lawn yet though (touches wood quickly). They seem to prefer digging in the flower bed.

[koo2cat]

We have quite a large garden but needless to say the 4 hens we have became weapons of mass destruction and very quickly the garden was trashed. We have bought some of the Omlet netting and sectioned off an area we don't mind being dug up/scratched etc. It works really well, the chooks are happy and we get to keep our garden beautiful and we still let them out to free range on the rest of the garden when we are out there to supervise!

[Mutrix Farmers]

We have quite a large area of grass and are able to move the run every day. The run is not sited on the same patch of grass for at least the next 7 days. I can report very little lawn damage where the run has been. Yes they scratch but we haven't any bald patches. OH poo-picks every day or blasts it to oblivion with the hose.

 

When they free range, the borders are protected by the Omlet chicken netting (fab stuff and worth every penny). This skirts around the lawn going into the border at strategic points where the birds are allowed to scratch, peck plants, poo to their hearts content etc. Garden looks exactly the same now as it did when the girls arrived (actually it's tidier because I have wanted to be in the garden with them at the weekends ) Perhaps in a year's time I'll be reporting a completely different story, but at present I wouldn't have it any other way. If it gets too bad we'll build a permanent base!

[BarbaraJ]

mine seem to have enough spaces in the garden not to make too much mess really but my garden is fairly big , well for around here about 60' x 30' . the grass is no worse than it was before except there are less weeds. they have scratched up one area of flowerbed for a dustbath but we don't mind. We aren't really garden proud , i think if you are you need a chicken area. mine love under the trampoline, a giant dush bath lol

[Pinkfairy]

Ours are on a soil/bark area and then let out to range on a dialy basis, as we have a rabbit too I guess it is hard to say if they have done mcuh damage t the garden, but generally doesn't seem to be a problem at all - I would reommend setting aside an area for them, but it is just great, as everyone says, to have them and watch them!

[Warren]

Many thanks for all the helpful replies. Have booked to go on a hen party on Monday so will see how that goes.

 

Warren

[nursechick]

We made a permanant base for our girls as Omlet has suggested and then using the netting we have sectioned off an area for them to do their worst in! We have found that the damage to the lawn is mostly around the Eglu where we walk especially as it seems that it has rained every day since we got them in January! They do scratch about and totally ruined what was to have been a wild flower bed but now they just use this area to dust bath in and they make quite a good job of cutting the grass without pulling it out.We only have 2 chooks and as we have foxes around here they free range for a few hours but not all day. I would say it could cause you a headache if your garden is very precious to you but otherwise accept some mess in exchange for all the pleasure you get interacting with them and of course those lovely eggs.Thats surely compensation enough!

[Helen&Lee]

There are quite a few plants that they do no touch - the chooks run is right next to a flower bed that I have spent years cramming with plants - and was pretty worried about what they would do to it

 

I have let them get on with it so I can see what needs to be moved etc and am happily surprised over what they are leaving

 

As long as you can cope with things not being exactly perfect and tidied to within an inch of its life, gardens, plants and chooks free ranging do go together and the enjoyment you get from the chooks outweighs any negatives

 

Helen

[BarbaraJ]

lol i forgot hubby made these bricked little areas next to the fence to plant roses in , the roses are fine but i made the mistake of putting used woodchip under the roses and of course the chickens scartched it all out again

[Stevie]

Mine isnt a huge garden,but the lawn is large enough for me to move the Eglu around every few days so it dont get trashed.In the summer-the grass will recover fairly quickly,but i may have to consider a permanent run in the winter months and i'll cross that bridge whe i come to it!

 

You can make out where the Eglu was,but the patch is now long gone.

[Warren]

Well, did the whole Hen Party thing & have taken the plunge. 1 red eglu & 2 chooks on order. Fingers crossed...

[Egluntyne]

Congratulations!

[KateP]

That's great, you won't regret it!

[moomin]

well done you'll have a lot of fun keeping chooks they are great

[Trapper]

You'll love them and yes they will trash your garden. If you love your garden make a permenant run it's the only way. Otherwise no grass, no plants, mud every where not to mention the pooh.

 

I had an Alsatian years ago and chickens are far worse. Within weeks they can trash an area a dog took a life time to mess up.

[Seagazer]

Well done Warren

[Jules.]

Here's my garden one year on

 

 

At first we let them free range all over, they didn't really destroy much as it's only in the past year we have been able to stock the flower beds (sp"Ooops, word censored!"ly!), but the poo was everywhere

Now they have a netted off area at the bottom where they can scratch around in- no grass left though!