Lesley R Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Can any of you experienced poultry keepers help please? I have three chickens - all laying nicely - but the garden is a wreck! I have no grass left and walking on it is like treading an oil slick of mud. What do I do?! Are bark chippings a good idea and do I have to change them or does one layer do? I would really appreciate your help. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 I built mine a run, and sacrificed a part of the garden for the good of the rest of it! If you have space it may be something to consider. Chickens eat almost everything, and what they don't eat, they dig up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 We did the same thing after losing all our grass the first winter we had the hens. They come out for the afternoon if it's not raining and are allowed on the grass but over winter, they spend most of their time in their custom built run which has the Eglu inside it. They don't mind at all. In Spring, reseed your lawn and keep the hens off it until it's established itself again and you can have both a lawn and chickens!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Forgot to add, look in the Chickens section at the sticky entitled "Chicken Run Inspiration!" Have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheilaz Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Yes, ours was fine in the summer, but now that the mud has set in.... So, the idea of fencing/netting off a hen area is a good one if you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 Definately go for bark, or hemcore, or leaves, and a fixed site, Lesley. It's not hard to do, and you do need to change them but not very frequently. Probably more in the summer, but the chooks can get out more then too. And you'll have a brilliant addition for your compost heap, which can really help the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 Go for bantams, they don't wreck your garden The only damage to my lawn is where I trudge up and down to let them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 Go for bantams, they don't wreck your garden The only damage to my lawn is where I trudge up and down to let them out. Same here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 Mind you, my garden is a tad squidgy after My dad lent me his pressure washer - both the eglus are clean and sparkly now - all the little black spots on them have gone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
