clucking Kate Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Bit of help required please ! aquired 3 chooks and eglu with run extension. they are on my lawn but have concerns re craters appearing, quantity of poo and smell (very minimal but could see how escalates !) Only have grass to keep them on so my questions are: Don't care about craters as lawn not wimbledon standard to start with with but thinking will not be nice for chooks when becomes muddy in wet weather. Is it ok to just lay a layer of bark and put run in that ? If so how often to replace and poo pick ? Poo pick: poo pick for horse in paddock no probs but does chook poo picking in the run entail the same i.e picking up regularly, if so im guessing will have to crawl into run to do so ( all tent pegged down on skirts due urban fox posse). I know this makes me sound like an idiot but poo picking paddocks seems to stand to reason, chooks poo smaller and .....looser. My brain can't quite get a grip on it ! Smell: very used to farmyard/muck heap smells but in small suburban garden think neighbours not as equine minded as me, if on bark can i make it smell nicer and how often would i need to change it. Dog; My derranged rescue lab went mental at sight of chooks despite being on lead etc. not worried as chook girlies secure and just sounded cross rather than distressed but any experience of extreame dog reactions ?. Concerned as have very tolerant, nice neighbours but constant barking ( at kitchen door) enough to set your teeth on edge. Could someone explain why 3 little hens are causing me worries and fears when ton of plunging horse flesh merely irritates me mildly ?? !! many thanks, Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simone Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Bit of help required please ! best bet is buy bags woodchip better than bark, put layer of that done, the a layer of auboise/hemcore soak up the poo, also get ikea shower curtain for when it rains and attach to run so it dont turn to muddy mess. i poo pick couple times a day scoop and old plastic container then i to compost bin. Smell: i put couple drops citronella oil on kitchen roll in tray then shredded paper onb top. also put garlic powder and broashki bran in food helps with the smell. Dog; My derranged rescue lab went mental at sight of chooks despite being on lead etc. not worried as chook girlies secure and just sounded cross rather than distressed but any experience of extreame dog reactions ?. Concerned as have very tolerant, nice neighbours but constant barking ( at kitchen door) enough to set your teeth on edge. Could someone explain why 3 little hens are causing me worries and fears when ton of plunging horse flesh merely irritates me mildly ?? !! many thanks, Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Hi Kate . All these questions are quite common and get asked by most Omleteers at some point . Is it ok to just lay a layer of bark and put run in that ? If so how often to replace and poo pick ? I use horse bedding like Easibed or Hemcore. It's super absorbant so the poos just disappear (literally ). You do need to keep the run dry though. Corrugated plastic sheets are very good as are glass clear tarpaulins. Poo pick: You won't find you have to poo pick nearly as much if you use a horse bedding. I used to scoop up large ones ( ) within arm's reach of the door but to be honest, there were never very many. Smell: very used to farmyard/muck heap smells but in small suburban garden think neighbours not as equine minded as me, if on bark can i make it smell nicer and how often would i need to change it. Hemcore (if you can get it) has citronella added and smells lovely. I used to dig over my eglu run every 6 weeks or so, remove the top layer to the compost, sprinkle a disinfectant called Stalosan F down and a new layer of bedding. It never smelled bad You can also sprinkle citronella in the poo tray (I put down a couple of sheets of newspaper first). Dog; Hmm, not sure. My dog was very curious to begin with but just ignores them now (and is actually a little scared after a beak came pretty close to his nose .) Could someone explain why 3 little hens are causing me worries and fears when ton of plunging horse flesh merely irritates me mildly ?? !! 'Cos that's what the little critters like to do - take over your life and cause you constant grief . Hope that helps . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Hello Kate, just a quick note about dogs. Everyone's experience is different but mine was dreadful but is now fine. We aquired our hens 14mths ago & Sparky my collie cross couldn't believe his luck. His fav. playthings of all time in his garden. His reaction was simple - tea Anyway, long story short, Sparky did his best and managed to break Penny's foot. I almost gave up at this point as I hated having to keep Sparky out of what has always been his garden. However we reached a compromise and we fenced off an area for the hens while we worked on some heavy duty training for Sparky. Result - it did take a while but with consistent training I can honestly say the hens are safe from Sparky. They are often in the garden together and he doesn't even raise an eyebrow Now I just have to work on Daisy my Yorkie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I use horse beddng 1" thick in the run. (I buy Auboise personally and change it once a month - poops just disappear into it and hardly smell at all - needs a cover on the run though). Ditto above - don't need to poo pick with horse bedding. But I do poo pick their free range area (ie. my lawn) daily. I also give them garlic powder in their feed (same brands as you buy for horses and as you're used to equine stuff I'm sure you know where to get it). Helps reduce poop smells. And ....... you are right........ I worry about my chickens like they are children. Silly but true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucking Kate Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 Just typed loads and then lost it all, how very annoying !! Thanks for all the advise, sorry not to have replied before but was on hols for week with very intermittent internet access, no mob phone coverage etc. Very cut off from the world ! Chooks been looked after all week by my MIL and seem happy as larry. Derranged dog due back from doggie Butlins in the morning and feel anxiety levels rising all ready. However much reassured by sparkys mum as it seems it might be possible to combine the two. You mentioned heavy duty training ? Can you give me some pointers ? Slightly concerned as dog not even interested in food treats near chooks and for a Lab this almost warrents a guiness world of records entry. Shame garden so small as not able to make seperate areas, thank god for fence to lawn tho'. Am off to tack shop tomorrow so will see what garlicky powders and bedding in stock. Chatty chicken do you put bedding directly on grass or are they mats I can see ? Oh all my animals cause me no end of worries !!! thanks again, all advise was really helpful and very useful to worried chook mum !! Kate x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Aaahhh another lab who turns it's nose up at treats when it sees fit...mine is the only one I'd ever heard of who refused/ignored food before today We thought she was a cat in a labrador's coat She is the one who was OCD with the chooks when we first got them...ended up taking advice from our builder who trained his own gundogs............it's so simple it doesn't sound as though it would work but I can categorically say it does......just say firmly "no" everytime she went in the direction if the chooks. When we started to let them freerange, we started off with the dogs (there are 3 of them ) on leads, although the 2 babies ignored the chooks due to the pecks they had received on their delicate little noses when they got too close to the run! Jess started off on the lead, then move slowly towards being off the lead & the firm "no" whenever she made moves towards the chooks..........of course several sharp pecks helped too. Suddenly we realised that they were happy to be in the garden together with us without any hassles.....then one day I noticed (from an upstairs window ) that Jess was lying in the garden with the 3 chooks wandering around her When we've introduced new chooks, the dogs have accepted them quickly, though Jess is slightly OCD about Buffie & her babies and Blossom at the moment, as she hasn't met them outside the runs yet....I'm sure Blossom will hold her own and until that happens "no" is ringing out across the garden again Other people have had good results with a water pistol too, good luck with your little family, Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Hi Kate, I hope you had a fab holiday. We "trained " Sparky not to go for the hens by turning the hose on him each time he went near them & my husband simply spoke to him crossly. I think this worked for him because he is such a gentle soul & didn't like being spoken to severely. Howeverwe've had a hiccup. Our new hens have found their wings and on more than one occassion flown over the fence out of their "garden" .I'm afraid that this has caused unbearable excitement for Sparky & Daisy who find all their flapping & squawking irresistable .We've had a "near miss" tonight and I'm having to think about what to do myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 My dog is ok when they are in the run but I wouldn't trust her one little bit with the hens out so in our house the dog has to stay in the house. Better to be safe than sorry with her. Shame though as I would love to be able to leave them outside together so that I could pop in to make a quick coffee knowing that a fox wouldn't stand a chance of getting into the garden but alas-no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 My terrier, Dennis, was hugely interested to start with. He got used to them over time and after a few close shaves where he was on the receiving end and got scared! He now can wonder round with the chooks but still goes potty when I pick one of them up or when there is flapping. I don't leave them alone together just in case but time deos seem to be the only way - the dog will just get used to them/ bored. Hope it calms down for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucking Kate Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 Thanks for all doggy tales ! Demented Lab seems SLIGHTLY calmer but I have this week off work ( heaven) so he's getting really long walks and is thus too knackered to kick up a stink about anything. He had to be let on the lawn with eglu this morning ( its gated off as our old dog used to run in circles compulsivly and it was the only way to stop him) and for for same strange reason he will not pee on the patio even if his bladder was on the point of explosion. I had to let him out there as it was 4.30 a.m. and im to much of a scardy cat to walk him down the road for a wee at that time ( plus I would have had to put some clothes on, stumbling about half blind without my contacts in etc etc, you get the picture) Girls made chicken noises from inside and as predicted he went mental, starts biting the eglu and becoming generally hysterical. Thought of poor sleeping neighbours and shooed him away with broom, felt really mean but not wise to grab him by the coller as he can get really narky ( rescue, who knows what that might have meant for him in the past - don't want to compromise either of us). Went in reluctantly, obviously thought he was going to be eating a chook for breakfast. When he first arrived last year he had "issues" and doggy physciatrist (spellink atrocious !) had to visit a few times. She said in certain states of high excitement/anxiety their brain just shuts down and becomes one track. Its like this when they start flapping around,he goes into hysterical mode and that obviously makes them flap more and so on and so on so what ever we do he is not receptive to listening to commands let alone acting on them. Feel we are in for the long haul acceptance wise. Never mind, bit by bit i suppose as we have had to do with other things with him. All girls covered over with black roofing stuff at mo due torrential rain , "Ooops, word censored!"ody who wanted a pretty garden could have an eglu i feel, the picture on the web site of them in the lovley lawn makes me laugh, my garden looks like to somme. Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 the only thing that worked with our rescue Lab was an electric fence - 2 nasty shocks, and now you just mention the 'Ch' word and he sits down obediently about 4 ft away and waits til I've done with the girls... wasnt a nice process though, but he was convinced they were just for his benefit!! he now just chases seagulls on the beach (hopeless, but tiring!( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
