farrowy Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 I've got my eglu and run on grass and can't really rake the poop out of the run as it's all squished in and the grass is quite mossy anyway. I do change the droppings tray everyday/every other day. At the moment I'm moving the eglu to a new patch of grass twice a week. I guess I'm just worried if people think the girls could get ill at all from having a few days in quite a poopy run before I move it to a fresh poop-free patch? Only 2 weeks into this keeping chickens malarky and I'm already talking chicken poop to people online Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 i was moving the run and eglu twice a week when i had it on grass but have since put down hemcore on the grass and keep the run in the same place as our grass wasn't recovering quickly enough. When i did do that though each evening I lifted the end of the run and swivelled it round then picked up all the poop then put the run back again - obviously couldn't get all of it up but it did make it a lot cleaner looking. now I've got hemcore down though the poop all seems to disappear so only needs raking once a week or so, much easier to look after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 Hi Farrowy, our run is permanent - was on grass but that's long since disappeared, now I put Aubiose in (about to try hemcore when the other stuff runs out) and change it about once a month, I top it up every few days to weekly and the poo does seem to just vanish. The poo on the grass from where they free range, however, is another matter altogether. I'm not good like some people, I don't seem to have time to poop scoop every day, I've hosed it in before which was quite successful but the stuff on the patio is ENORMOUS! Our broody speckledy does poo a DOG would be proud of - size and stinkability! It's scary isn't it, how quick talking chicken poo creeps up and is suddenly normal? If my friends from my teenage years could see me now.....! Mrs Bertie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lost-sheep Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 we also used to keep em on grass but their on bark chippings now... they lurrrrrve it!! they do dig a lot of holes in it tho... i would recomend chips cos the poo gets racked in by the chooks as they scratch around! bark also attracts slugs and stuff which gives them another treat!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilly Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 My gang are on bark chips too, and as they"re always scratching about they disperse the poo themselves , and to see Mortishia having a tug of war match with a worm she"d uncovered was to die for!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley-Jean Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 From my expeeience, unless you have sufficient grass to move the run every 1-2 days and give the grass time to recover before having to use it again a permanent location with hemcore/aubiose, bark chunks, or soft wood chip is the best option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 I agree, our grass is still 'bald' in the two areas the run was for about 4 days each time before we gave up on moving it and put down hemcore! OH spent most of last year seeding the lawn and watering it daily to get it looking lovely, then we get chickens, stupidly put the run quite near the middle of the lawn and there's a big mud patch now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
