Single hen

[fluffyknickers]

I am loving my chickens (would love them more if they were laying ) but there is one problem.

 

When i let them out in the garden to have a walk round the poo is everywhere and horrid for the kids as i keep saying "watch the poo".

 

When I let them in I have been going round picking up the poo and then hose down the patio.

 

Anyone got any tips or making this job easier. I know its unavoidable if I am letting them out but husband is only just tolerating it at the moment!!!

 

Thanks

 

michelle

[cordelia]

we got our chooks in August..and now I've had enough of poop....

 

I know others poo pick...

 

anyway my girls are now confined to their run....

 

until I can get a large walk-in run sorted out...somehow

 

when they lay....the size of their poops can be enourmous !!!!

[fluffyknickers]

Ah interesting as this morning I cleaned the poo from the nest area and where Nugget sits my there was LOADS and they were HUGE like the size of cats poohs.

 

 

Sorry for the details but I couldnt believe the size of them!

 

michelle

[Falkor]

Hi mazzy.......I don`t have kids but still don`t like poo being all over the patio so I have given the girls the top half of the garden and me, OH and the cats get the rest. I have used Omlet netting to seperate the two sections.

 

Even OH is calling the two sections "chicken garden" and "our garden". This does mean to poo is confined to one area which i rake and and then flick under the big conifers every few days.

 

OH does keep forgetting to close the "gate" to the chook garden when he lets them out to free range so we do have a bit of poop on the patio

 

Ohhhh Gin is doing some massive poos. Another sign that we might get an egg soon

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I bought a 49p plastic food scoop from Morrisons and keep it in the back garden. Whenever I go out I use it to flick the poos straight into the flowerbeds. Only takes a minute (my garden is pretty small though!).

[Hen Watch]

I've got Omlet netting.

 

My lot have their own bit of garden to poo in and my kids can run around the rest of the garden.

[sparkysmum]

Yes, you tend to underestimate just how much poo ther's going to be I've also had enough of poo everywhere & trashed garden. Hens have their garden & we have ours. At the moment this is working but I'm dreading the return of the mink.

[tidygirlsuk]

I got bucket and a hand shovel, and i put it into the compost. the chicken poo is a garden asset, it helps the woody bits in compost rot quicker.

 

Claire

[fluffyknickers]

In an ideal world I would have theirs and ours but the garden is extremely small and at the moment their cube and run take up most of the grass bit of the garden.

 

However It would be a possibility to give them the whole of the grass area and we have the patio bit - which isnt huge either but will do for a relaxing sit in the summer.

 

Hmmmm food for thought - will go and have a look now to see how much the netting is.

 

x

 

PS You lot stop making me spend more money!

[tidygirlsuk]

A watering can is easier to wash down the softer stuff rather than pulling out hose. Are you letting them free range all day then ?

 

Claire

[fluffyknickers]

The hose isnt a problem as I am just hosing the patio area which is where the hose is and its only a small bit of patio.

 

No they arent out all day, I dont trust foxes or that they will go missing somehow!!!

 

If I am not at work I let them out around 3pm ish when I have picked up my son from school and getting dinner ready. Only let them out when I am around downstairs to keep looking in the garden. Found that I cant leave the back door open as they are obsessed with coming in the kitchen and husband not impressed!

 

x

[tidygirlsuk]

I let mine out same time and while i eat lunch some days. I got big garden borders so then spend most of their time in them, helping me with the weeding. I got soil borders with srubs. have you got garden borders ?

 

Claire

 

arrived 14/02/09

[Guest]

If you really wanted too seeing as everyone likes equestrian bedding etc Next time u r in an equine type shop /country store have a look at the horse hand held poo pickers for menages(for anyone that doesnt know its like a collector with a long metal arm and a scooper. People use it to poo pick larger amounts but it would save ur backs bending down and u could collect quite a lot in it...usually come in diff colours ...just a thought

indie

 

its an equine version of a dust pan and brush but for dung..prob approx £15?

[PurpleTree]

I just poo-picked the grass, using a small plastic plant pot and a trowel, then tipped into the compost bin. The patio my son, Daniel, swept the poo onto the grass using a firm broom. Didn't take long at all.

 

At the moment I make the boys put their wellies on to go outside, and I make sure they take them off as soon as they come in through the back door, that way I don't really care if they step in any. Will just have to see how it goes in the Summer, when we're spending more time in the garden. We introduced the girls to the football the other day while the sun was shining, just to get them used to it.

[tidygirlsuk]

I just poo-picked the grass, using a small plastic plant pot and a trowel, then tipped into the compost bin. The patio my son, Daniel, swept the poo onto the grass using a firm broom. Didn't take long at all.

 

At the moment I make the boys put their wellies on to go outside, and I make sure they take them off as soon as they come in through the back door, that way I don't really care if they step in any. Will just have to see how it goes in the Summer, when we're spending more time in the garden. We introduced the girls to the football the other day while the sun was shining, just to get them used to it.

 

 

Me to ! crocs or wellies do the trick.

[BarbaraJ]

weelies etc are great for older kids but i had to bild the bigger run as with 5 chickens and 3 nder 3's to look after i wouldn't be able to cope in the summer with the poo. I'll maybe still let them out at the weekend or evenings sometimes but they have lots to do in their rn and i know its plenty big enough for them. the new girls will be fine as they have never been out, its onlt the old 2 that pace the fence when i go to open the door i may eventually chicken proof the top end of the garden but will have to wait to sort out fencing and a gate as the shed is up there with them!

[Cooks]

I just walk around after they have been put back in the run and collect up. I have two dogs so I have to do this with them, having 4 chooks is no big thing with me.

[chelsea]

summer gets much easier as the poos dry out and you can sweep them up easily.

 

I always find winter is a bit harder, the garden looks depressing and with the poos, the muddy grass etc.

 

I just spray them away with the hose at the moment. The little hard poos are fine - its the horrible chip shop curry sauce ones that I dont like

[Guest]

chip shop curry sauce will never b the same again!! YUM idnie

[fluffyknickers]

oOOH CHIP SHOP CURRY SAUCE. These are the poohs i hate the most as cant pick them up.

 

I have bought some Omlet chicken netting stuff so will give them some of the grass bit and sometimes let them out in the rest of the garden.

 

Will take more photos when we have it!

 

x

[Plum]

oOOH CHIP SHOP CURRY SAUCE. These are the poohs i hate the most as cant pick them up.

 

I have bought some Omlet chicken netting stuff so will give them some of the grass bit and sometimes let them out in the rest of the garden.

 

Will take more photos when we have it!

 

x

 

Don't they stink

[Blackrocksrock]

I bought a 49p plastic food scoop from Morrisons and keep it in the back garden. Whenever I go out I use it to flick the poos straight into the flowerbeds. Only takes a minute (my garden is pretty small though!).

 

I made my scoop from a 1 pint milk carton so have a handle and cut it into a scoop shape - used one for dog poo picking up from the garden too!!.

 

Reduce reuse recycle

[ted]

 

I made my scoop from a 1 pint milk carton so have a handle and cut it into a scoop shape - used one for dog poo picking up from the garden too!!.

 

Reduce reuse recycle

 

What a good idea. Nice one!!!

[sandyhas3chucks]

ha ha, all my friends laughed at me, went for a day trip to France, no fine cheeses for us.... oh no,,,,

I came back with a long handled very sturdy childs seaside shovel, has a nice curve so can stand up almost straight, it was brilliant for the Eglu run pooh picking too. I use that flat hoe thingy for weeding as a pusher.

easy peasy!

I have a looong thin garden so having a small pooh bin in strategic places helps too, then when full or stinky or going to the end down it goes to help me with awful attempt at compost bin.

[Egluntyne]

In the dry weather, one of those springy rakes for gathering leaves is very good for gathering poo.