mictogirl Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I’m having second thoughts about getting my chickens and was just wondering if anyone had had the same and can offer any advice? I do like the free eggs and it is nice to see the girls bokking around the garden but frankly the mess they make of the garden and specially the poo everywhere despite my poo-picking efforts is really getting to me. I know it doesn’t help that its winter so the garden looks awful anyway, but they’re certainly not improving matters. I hate the fact I can’t even go out to empty the bins without donning my wellies because there’s poo right outside the back door. A simple answer to this I know would be to fence off a large area of the garden for them and keep them and their mess contained to that area. However hubby and I have already come to verbal blows on this – he says I can’t have it both ways (chickens AND a nice garden), refuses to contain them and wants them free ranging over the whole garden. We did come to a compromise a few weeks ago as I’m planning on building some raised beds in the spring and obviously need to protect them – the compromise being we’ll fence off the beds and also the adjoining patio at the end of the garden so we can sit out there without fear of chicken poo on the table and chairs. He’s very stubborn and it took a lot of work to get him to this compromise so I know he’ll never go for containing them to one part of the garden. I just don’t know what to do. Even in the summer when the garden will hopefully be looking nicer with planting, I’ll be having to constantly poo pick the lawn so the children can play on it and that still won’t help the areas around the doors to the house where the girls like to scratch up the gravel around the house walls and poo all over there as well. We currently only have them in a wooden ark with a smallish run underneath and are planning on building a larger walk-in run in the spring time. But I can’t help wondering if it wouldn’t be easier to re-home the chickens, save building the walk in run and fencing off the raised beds and have a more usable, larger, poo free garden instead. You probably all think I’m really evil for not being a total chicken convert and I’m dreading possibly bringing the subject up with my hubby since I nagged him for ages that I wanted chickens, but if I can’t section off part of the garden to keep them contained I don’t know what else to do. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance, Laura. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Of course you're not evil for thinking of containing the girls. I love my chooks to bits but they do destroy every living thing in sight. My compromise with myself (because I love my garden too) is that they have a big walk-in run, and stay there during the spring and summer months, with very limited free-ranging (1 or 2 at a time under very close supervision). In the autumn and winter months (when the garden is dying back) they free-range together for longer periods. They make a good effort of clearing the dead vegetation for me and I can just scoop it up for the compost bin then. Unless you have a huge garden, the idyllic image of a few hens daintily clucking around is a fantasy. I think you and your OH need to have another chat about the meaning of "compromise". Good luck! *hugs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmommasally Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Laura You're not evil at all!! If I had young children then I would want a poo free area for them to play in because of the health hazards. I agree with MedusA you and your OH need a serious talk about compromise. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggstatic! Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I fully understand what you mean about the poo being everywhere, I even found that we didnt take the recycling stuff to the garage as often becaue we had to put wellies on to do it. We have had a walk in run built and the difference is amazing, no poo anywhere and the recycling get taken out too! It also means that our new grandchild will be able to sit in the garden in summer without sitting in poo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValR Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I know exactly what you mean. Although I love my two chooks (and the eggs) I wasn't prepared for the devastation they wrought on the garden! I'm thinking of making up some hurdles so that I can restrict them to certain areas in the spring and summer - but not having an OH and not being very good at DIY I'm not sure when I'll get round to it. I'm quite anxious that some of my favourite plants won't reappear in the spring - and as for the newts and frogs, we won't go there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fowlbird Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 in the end, after losing two lawn areas we decided to fence off the garden immediately in front of the back of the house, if you see what I mean. Our girls free range here - it's quite a large area with shrubs and stuff to poke around in so they have plenty of fun but it means that we have the rest of the garden to sit in and plant fruit and veg etc we're also planning a walk-in run so that they can have a larger space for when they can't free range it's not evil to want to keep your garden decent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I try to block the mess from my mind..... Im a real stickler for a clean tidy house and am usually like it with the garden. Have come to the conclusion everyone's gardens look trashy and messy during the winter . My garden looks lovely in the summer when everything is in full bloom, green grass and the sun dries up the poos, I dont think I take half as much notice of the mess they make during the summer. I wouldnt be without my girls though - just watching them today makes me smile I just long to move so we can have a bigger garden/field where the girls can be "self contained" in half an acre or so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 (edited) Not evil at all. Mine have always been contained in their own area of the garden. We live on a busy main road and I simply can't risk an escaped chicken causing an accident, so I don't feel guilty at all about keeping them in their area. We do have the odd escape committee form, but it isn't a huge problem. They have enough room to break into a sprint and can easily avoid each other if they want. There are things to climb on etc. I'm sure that this would be the solution to your problems. Would he not even consider it for a minute? Why not ask him to give it a try for a few months and then review again. Best of luck. Edited for typo. Edited December 30, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mictogirl Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 I've actually just been looking at the Flyte So Fancy runs - they look great and probably just what we need. My hubby reckons his DIY skills aren't up to building a full on proper run but is confident he can convert our old shed, but I still don't think that would be big enough (I think it's 4 x 6ft) and they'd need more room. Do any of you have girls who stay in a decent sized run at all times and don't free range at all? I'm just worried about them getting enough room to play if they're going to be contained. Think I'm going to have to give OH an ultimatum: a) the chickens get rehomed b) he builds a run using the converted shed but ALSO fences off a bit more of the garden for them to play in at weekends when we're around to supervise c) he lets me buy a ready made run using the cash we've just saved getting a half price bathroom suite in the sales I don't think he's going to be happy with any of those options but I really can't go on with having poo all over the garden - a) would be cheapest as b) and c) mean we're definitely commited to chicken keeping, c) he would probably be ballistic over the price of, which leaves b), the compromise I wanted in the first place. Do you think it'll work? Wish me luck - I need to chose my time to have this talk very carefully..... Thanks for making me feel better about everything! Laura. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I have a flytesofancy run and it is is fab. If you got a slightly bigger one than you reallly need, then there will be plenty of room for them for them to be happy with minimal or no free ranging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonix Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 hope it all works out well for you, OH and the chickens and everyone's happy! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Yes I agree with Eglutine. I also have a Flytesofancy run which has been enhanced with climbing frames and ladders. They are absolutely fine in there - space to move, jump, dust bathe, preen or just sit if they want. Mine have between half an hour to 2 hours free ranging time a day at the moment (depending on the weather and how cold my feet get!) but won't get out at all when I'm back at work next week. If they see us in the house they'll pretend they are ever so hard done by but they soon give up if ignored. Come the spring we will use our Omlet netting to fence off the plants as they come back up, leaving a free ranging chicken area at the back. We did this last year and it seemed to work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Good luck getting your OH to agree to your plan. It sounds very sensible! I can sympathise - we have a very small garden which they have total access to (they can't get round to the back door luckily so access to the garage and drive is poo-free!) and it's covered in poo. My kids are too old to play in the garden and we're not keen gardeners so it's not a problem, but I can see it really would be if we had little ones . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I love my garden, and I love my chickens and the two CAN be compatible, but not if you have free-ranging all day, every day. I think your suggested compromises are absolutely right, I am ignoring option (a) because I don't think you really want to rehome your chickens ... if you did, you wouldn't be asking for advice. I think you either need to limit the free-ranging area, so you have some poo-free garden for you to enjoy and the children to play in, OR you need to limit the free-ranging time so that the amount of poo is reduced and at a level at which you can clear it. I'd go for a large run, and then occasionally let them roam the garden when you can handle it. I have to keep my chooks in the run most of the time due to fox problems and working hours, but they are fine and there are some advantages. Perhaps I'm making a virtue of necessity, but even when I'm home I keep them in the run during the morning because that way I am sure they're eating enough pellets and not filling up on other stuff. Sit your OH down and point out some of the things raised above. I do hope you can overcome this, and enjoy your chooks and your garden. For me, the garden wouldn't be the same without them - they bring it to life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mictogirl Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 Thanks so much for all your kind words and advice! I've priced up the Flyte So Fancy runs and can see I could get a decent sized 9x12ft run plus roof and delivery for under £700. I think it would be the best option by far, I've just got to persuade OH now. I've chickened (!) out and sent him an email (since we're both at work today) detailing each option and am waiting for a reply - easier than him trying to argue over me if I brought it up tonight..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 my first few girls were eaten when they free ranged in my garden so a walk in run has been the answer, it has made a huge difference to my garden, I do keep them contained in a fenced off area next to the run when I'm in the garden, they have turned it over nicely for my potatoes in the spring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggstatic! Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 my girls are in their run all the time, they got usedto it really quick and it is a nice place for me to go to chat to them too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I'm going to put mine in a larger run as my OH is fed up with the damage they've done. I think doing that and maybe if you have the space to do a seperate free ranging area would be a brilliant compromise. When my children were younger we had the garden seperated by a fence so that the dog stayed in the front bit and the kids could run about on the grass without worrying about treading in poo. Its no different really. Good luck and I hope your OH agrees. If you get a bigger run can we see some photos when its done please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mictogirl Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 Well, we've had 'The Talk' Happily he agreed to us keeping them contained - he didn't think the poo was a problem, but then I'm the one who's always going out there to clean them out and spend time in the garden so I just don't think it occured to him! He did say we weren't spending all that money on a ready made run though (which I anticipated and in a way I don't mind, it IS a lot of money) and also that he wasn't letting them have any more room in the garden than they've currently got in our woodchipped area. I went out and measured it this evening and it's actually about 9ft x 15ft, so I'd say enough room for a shed conversion run (about 5ft x 8ft) with the ark outside of it, plus a little extra roaming room to fence them in - sound about right? I'm glad it's agreed anyway - a ready made run WOULD be nice and convenient and we could get it now rather than waiting until spring when our other DIY in the house is complete and he's willing to do it, but on the other hand we don't really have that kind of money spare. Ah well, compromising again, but maybe a few more points to me this time.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 My chickens are currently in disgrace after pecking most of the heads off the winter pansies in my containers after ignoring them completely for months, so I can understand how frustrating the destruction of your garden is to you. We started out intending to let the chooks have free range of our (large) garden but it became frustrating to have all the stones out of the border scratched onto the lawn, seedling always being s"Ooops, word censored!"ped up etc so hubby built a small 'chicken garden' around the outside of the eglu run. This is a woodchipped area with a small fence (only 3 feet high so wouldn't be a challenge to either a fox or an agile hen) where they can free range when I'm at home. I do let them have a run around the garden for the odd hour but after 'pansygate' they're confined to barracks. My raised veggie beds are covered in netting at the moment and in the summer will be surrounded by wicker trellis, my raspberry canes and asparagus beds are similarly barricaded. The poo problem is solved by keeping an old trowel handy and flicking any obvious poos onto the flowerbeds as I go. Any on the patio are doused with a watering can filled from the water butt. I keep a pair of garden clogs by the back door to slip on to visit the bin (wearing slippers outside is a no no now!) Don't feel guilty - I don't think many of us are prepared for quite how destructive a dainty little hen can be when they're s"Ooops, word censored!"ping about, or just how much poo they can produce! Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Why not just show him this thread and all the comments above. I've just got mine in a cube with run + 1/2 extension. They are happy in there and then out in omlet netting run for spells at weekends and when Im at home for hour or so. That way the amount of poo is not too bad I can sweep it off the grass and path and move the netting around to even out the wear. With the run you are planning they would be really happy. I think if I left them free in my garden all the time it would be soon be a mess so don't blame you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fowlbird Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 this was once the Upper Lawn - absolutely no grass left, it was a mix of clay and muddy sand... Ginger (ex Batt) is helping daddy prepare it for turfing. Once done the grass needed cutting every few days - the result of all that chicken poo over the previous year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I think you have to show who's boss!! Maybe you could get a bigger run and leave them in it more often. It's not cruel - you can then let them out supervised when and wher you want to. Section off an area for them and they can then wreck that to their own delight! Afterall - however we keep them - we all give them far more than the space taken up by a sheet of A4 paper!!!!!! ....think about it! Louise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Sounds as if you have made progress. Ever thought of a career in the Diplomatic Service? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 I've chickened (!) out and sent him an email (since we're both at work today) detailing each option and am waiting for a reply - I use this route when I can't face a confrontation or I simply can't get hold of him & he needs to be fed the information before I forget !!! With the three chooks & three labs freeranging our garden, there are times - if we haven't been around much during the day to clear up - when it looks like a poo bomb has exploded over the lawn I would like a walkin run for my chooks, especially once we double the flock with the ex-batts at the end of January...I was very silly when asked what I wanted for Christmas & birthday not to say a WIR....too late now though...will have to work on it though Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
