4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[lindsay~]

Hi all

 

We got our girls last week, Annie and Clarabel. Settling in nicely but I'm quite astonished at the amount of Poop they are producing!!

 

I've moved the Eglu twice since last Wednesday but I'm concerned what their poop is going to do to our grass. Will it fertilise it or kill it?

 

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

 

Lindsay

[stoice]

Sometimes if I've left one of the girls large deposits on the lawn a little too long it has died but that was mostly from having no daylight, not because it was burning it or anything. I try to poo pick when i can, although when the ground is wet this is tricky to do and a curry poo is not worth getting within sniffing distance so a blast from the hose pulverises them into oblivion (The poop - not my girls!) I found as long as it's 'broken up' it has no ill effect on the lawn. In fact, it's coming up lovely and green. (Although our wet summer may also have helped)

[Egluntyne]

I agree with Stoice.

 

Mine are on paving slabs now.

[keyhole kate]

I have no lawn to worry about the girls have

trashed it. It is now a test site for all things

glastobury aah but luv em

[Mutrix Farmers]

We started on grass, moving the run every three days. One very trashed lawn later they are now on bark chippings. 3 months later the lawn is showing some signs of recovery!!

 

I've found the scratching does more damage than the poop!

[keyhole kate]

mine weren't even on the lawn

only free ranging a lesson to be learned

[Hen Watch]

Will it fertilise it or kill it?

 

Could be both depending how much you move the run. If moving it frequently the poop can be raked up or hosepipe blasted and the grass will go a lovely dark green. But too long on one patch and the build up plus scratching will damage grass.

 

In Summer moving regularily is a good option. In deepest winter I put Auboise (horse bedding) on the run floor, cover the run with a shower curtain and just change it once a month. Soaks up poos fabulously and I just live with the fact I have to re-seed a strip of grass come spring.

 

If they are new, the stress of settling in may upset their tummies and you may find they produce less poop after a few weeks.

 

And an obvious point but worth mentioning, if they are new and confined to the run then the pooped area is going to be concentrated at the moment. If they have free range time then some of it will get distributed elsewhere and is easy to poop pick at the end of the day.

 

PS. Welcome to the forum Lindsay.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, Lindsay .

 

I use a plastic food scoop and flick the poos straight into the flowerbeds.

[smanners]

I move the eglu daily and do a poop patrol every morning and night!

It sounds a bit obsessive but so far the lawn is ok and its mine and the girls quality time as they just love following me around with my bucket and spade.The bucket contents then go into the compost. Job done !

Rocky

Mrs Doyle

Helen

8 rescued cats

3 gerbils

1 mouse

pond fish ++++++

[lindsay~]

Thanks for your replies. Our garden is looking like a mud bath with all the pecking poop and rain and its only been a week!!

 

I think I need to do more regular poop patrols

[sarahs]

My chickens are free ranging during the day (apart from when I go out upon occasion) and the grass is coping OK. I'm moving the eglu and run every 3 days and poop picking once a day when I also clean out the poop tray. It takes about 15 mins every day to look after them, a good return for a few nice brown eggs! I just wish they would start laying!!

 

Hugs

Sarah

[jlo]

I started by moving the eglu and run every three days or so but quickly ran out of new grass. I looked at a picture of when the chooks first arived the other day and barely recognised the area - it was green - now it is mud plus bark plus poo!

 

I have followed others' advice on here and now put aubiose down. It looks lovely when it is first down and does seem to soak up the poos. The rest of the area where they mainly do their free ranging looks like a bomb site....and I only have two!

[keyhole kate]

I started by moving the eglu and run every three days or so but quickly ran out of new grass. I looked at a picture of when the chooks first arived the other day and barely recognised the area - it was green - now it is mud plus bark plus poo!

 

I have followed others' advice on here and now put aubiose down. It looks lovely when it is first down and does seem to soak up the poos. The rest of the area where they mainly do their free ranging looks like a bomb site....and I only have two!

 

A lawn oh yes I remember we used to have one of those now 7 soon to be 9 girls later just a distant memory

 

But I love them all so dearly it's a small price to pay