Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[Donald Duck]

Hi

 

I'm really interested in keeping chickens in my back garden but I don't have any grass in it.

 

I am looking to buy an Eglu cube and run and was wondering if I need grass to put the run on or would I be able to take up some on the slabs and lay a covering of bark or something similar.

 

I'm assuming hens need to be able to scratch about and obviously wouldn't be able to do that on a solid slabbed area.

 

Sorry if this seems a daft question but I am a total novice to hen keeping.

 

Thanks Donna

[Space Chick]

Many of us have solid floors for our chicken runs (I have a solid floor in my walk in run). As long as they are able to scratch around they will be fine. Wood chips would do the job great

 

The one thing I would say is that as they won't have grass to eat, you will need to supplement their diet with fresh greens. Mine love a cabbage or some broccoli

Edited March 20, 2010 by Guest

[Redwing]

You can put the run straight on the slabs, add a 'skirting board' to it to keep bedding in then use wood chips in the run, they dont need soil

[sjp]

grass want last long in a run so no you want need grass

bark isn't used in runs as it can contain fungus spores which can cause chickhens breathing problems but that said I think some people use it with out any problems I've got a couple of barked areas in the garden which my lot love as thats were most of the insect life is.I use a wood chip horse bedding in the run.

as for slabs you can lift them or leave them down and put a deep layer of bedding down or just take the middle ones out

[Ain't Nobody Here]

My girls don't have any access to my grass at all. They have flowerbeds when freeranging and soil/Easibed in their run. They don't seem to suffer (although given a chance they're straight onto the lawn .)

 

I don't give them greens as a rule (they ignore them ).

[kerryegg]

My two had a beautifully grassed wIR.....................for about a week.Even ate a large sedum I had been growing for years and everything they could reach through the wire including my mint. Now mud and lots of veg s"Ooops, word censored!"s and in season I give them weeds from the garden.Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Egluntyne]

Mine are very happy on a slabbed area. A layer of Aubiose gives them something to scratch about in, and a cabbage or some broccoli gives them something to peck at.

 

So, in answer to your question, they will be perfectly happy.

[Laura & CTB]

This was also the very first question I asked - My girls have no grass but a WIR with slabs and aubiose, they get to run round the garden every day and dig around under the hedges but have no grass - as long as you supplement their diet with lots of greens they will be fine.

[Sandychick]

My chickens arn't allowed anywhere near my lawn! They did have grass in their area, but it's long since been eaten and doesn't have a chance to grow back. They have all my veg s"Ooops, word censored!"s though