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

[KAZAROO]

This on new turf since the end of August..... despite trying to restrict the mud!!!!

 

[KAZAROO]

I was just trying to emphasize the need for fencing in this weather but couldnt find the post JANTY put up....

[tom123]

Could you not fence off the slabbed area next to the house?

 

I know what you mean about the mud you should see ours! It's like a swamp!

 

tom

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Oh dear .

[blackgold]

whoops better not let my hubby see that........ Our lawns are fenced off at the moment to stop the dogs ruining it, didnt realize the girls might make a worse mess.......

[Hen Watch]

Ahhh...take heart, Summer is Ok and grass grows back but winter is the pitts as it doesn't. My lot did the same last winter and reseeding in Spring did the trick and all is ok now ready for them to trash it again this winter all over again. I have clay soil which really doesn't help.

 

I thought the same Tom123, can you fence off the paving along the back wall so they don't trash the grass????

[KAZAROO]

I'm not too worried about the grass. I was juts posting them really to emphasize the fact that a fenced area will make all the difference..... Between dogs; hens and a heavy footed mama it didn't stand much chance.

 

I have some Hen pasture seed for the spring from:

 

http://www.meadowmania.co.uk/default.cfm/loadlevel.3/loadindex.190?gclid=CMHeuLL4npcCFU4g3godelapDA

 

Oh And I dont usually have lots of debris in my garden; but we have a pup who loves to chew so some of the sticks are hers amongst chewed yogurts pots etc...... That she has dragged out again....

 

The hens access the full garden and the little wire pen you can see is just to restrict them first thing when I let the dogs "free-range"!

[chickenanne]

Ours make lots of mess, too! Of course, we also end up with muddy paths to/from the hen house, caused by me and OH traipsing across the grass.

[Jules.]

It's not all doom & gloom

 

This is my garden taken last month. My garden path saves lots of wear & tear on the grass. I restrict free ranging to a couple of hours a day max now, & none at all when it has been wet, to preserve my "lawn".

 

 

 

Here is the part of the garden where the walk in run is now, this photo was taken in April. It did get quite muddy & nasty down there before the run, but nothing really grows there anyway because of the shade from the tree .

 

[Forge Cottage]

Yes Kazaroo, that is indeed mud... Crikey, I thought our garden was getting thin. If there is no grass to eat, probably all the birds are now gaining is the exercise...

 

As our soil is saturated, I have been concerned about the mud we make going to and fro and thinking about some kind of path or boardwalk to get to them without making so much mess.

 

Without overhead cover, I might go for an area with recycled rubber tyre chippings over an anti-weed membrane sheet until the new growing season. You can hose it down, it drains and the chippings don't get muddy. The birds stay clean too.

 

This was a great idea from our local breeder, who can supply the materials to any size you need, if you can't source them yourself.

[madchickenlady]

You should all keep pekins, they don't muddy up the garden

[chelsea]

we have learnt to lose our lawn over the autumn/winter unless you fence it off.

 

Grass doesnt grow much in the autumn/winter so it wont really renew itself once your little girls munch away on it. We always leave the lawn to turn to mud over winter and then returf around easter every year (then it has summer to establish). If you dont want to keep returfing every year its best to stop your girls accessing the lawn over winter and then your lawn will survive.