Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[SallymaySteven]

Hi guys

 

Here again for advice.

 

Love having the girls. They are both very happy chicks. Helgas found her feet and even attachs the run trying to get to my poor dog. Even if said poor dog is no where near the run. My hubby says it looks likd shes saying . "Come on, come on ill have you, bring it in dog" its very funny. Dog just walks off as if to say yeah right chick, im not the one in a cage.

Maggie still laying everyday which is amazing. Nothing from helga yet.

 

Anyways advice. My grass. My poor grass. Its under attach big time. We move them every saturday but with the way they are going there wont be any left by spring. My garden is half grass and half veg patch and polytunnel. We plan to move hopefully by end of year so would prefer to havd some grass to show buyers. Is there anything i can do? Ivd read somewhere you can put them on bark?? Is this right

thanks again sally

[Cat tails]

Grass? Is that the green stuff?

I have some vague memory of some green spriggly plant growing in my garden...

 

But jokes aside, there isn't really much you can do to save your grass, apart from moving them onto the pavement and filling the run with wood chips. They'll be that way. Or you can keep them on one particular spot and live with the fact they will turn that into one big dustbath. That's my current situation.

Once you are thinking of moving, you can always patch that part up with grass on a roll.

[mullethunter]

If your patch of grass is quite small, the only way to keep it is to keep the chickens off it.

 

I covered mine with turf protection mesh. It worked I that it hasn't turned to soggy mud, but there isn't any grass left either

 

I'm also moving soon but I've made my peace with the fact that I'll just have to returf it all before I go.

[wez]

Hmm ... tough one but the answer is always chooks = goodbye grass!

 

Moved from weekly relocations on the grass to concrete and hardwood chips a month ago and so far no regrets. As already said, returfing a small section is probably best but if theres space to relocate now to give time for the new stuff to take, that might convince the viewers that no crime ever occurred here! Good luck

 

[Chickabee]

Mine have been static for years now. Some do free range as I've got quite a big garden. Best thing I did was get walk in run and put slabs and Aubiose in it

[redsunset]

I've been amazed at the size and area chickens will strip of grass. I only have nice grass on my fenced off bit now. Total mud now, is my top lawn. Drainage this year but a question for Mullethunter if you read this. I was thinking after drainage and a bit of top dressing/new turf of laying a mesh protector over it? My thinking was chooks could still nibble it but not scratch it out? Did this not work for you?

[mullethunter]

The turf protector hasn't worked for me - it did stop the girls scratching up the roots, but they were so merciless in pecking out every blade that poked its head through the grass plants just couldn't cope. Having said that this is a small, shady, north facing garden that the grass struggled on a bit anyway. It has no sun at all on the grass from Nov to Feb, so a brighter spot might cope better.

[redsunset]

Thanks for that. I'm hoping as its a biggish area it might be ok. Gonna give it a try come late spring, early summer and see? Mind you 40 thugs on it!? !!!

Be interesting .....

[Chickabee]

Good luck with that redsunset Still I guess anything is better than mud and they can't scratch concrete

[Mars]

I've been amazed at the size and area chickens will strip of grass. I only have nice grass on my fenced off bit now. Total mud now, is my top lawn. Drainage this year but a question for Mullethunter if you read this. I was thinking after drainage and a bit of top dressing/new turf of laying a mesh protector over it? My thinking was chooks could still nibble it but not scratch it out? Did this not work for you?

If you have a big garden, the best thing works for you is get the right number of chooks to keep the grass green and short. some fertilizer during the summer will help. but you have to get treatment for morehens disease first.

[Chickabee]

I don't think a treatment has been found Mars, it incurable

[redsunset]

I know, I know re the morehens! Tis my fault I have a sea of mud but am determined we will have grass! Lots of drainage first then we'll see.........

[Pottage]

The Weeds are allowed to free range all over our garden when we are at home, and within a few weeks of having them there were holes so deep and wide it looked like they fancied a visit to Australia!

 

We bought a bulk amount of garden netting, the stuff you use to keep birds and butterfly's etc off your veg, and have pinned that over the whole lawn now. It has helped, they still dig but because of the netting they can't make huge holes any more. The grass eventually grows through the netting so you cant even see it.

 

The true test will come in spring/summer when we mow it properly for the first time since it's been down, I'm hoping the grass will have grown through enough because when we tried shortly after it was put down in the summer the mower just kept snagging the netting.

[mullethunter]

I think when we move I might fence a bit of lawn off and keep the girls OUTSIDE the fence

[Chickabee]

that's a marvelous idea. Love it

[redsunset]

That's why I was looking at that extra stong mesh they use for hard standings, like parking a car, helipads etc? I figured the garden mesh would be to flimsy for the mower? The black bird netting is fab on posts keeping them off my bit of garden secured with tent pegs in the ground and my dogs can't get out either. It has even thwarted my Bichon who will seek the tiniest of gaps!

[bill2b]

We are going to get a few rolls of turf to redo the inside of the girls arc, perhaps they will leave the rest of the garden alone well at least for the day or two it lasts

[redsunset]

That's when I wish I was near places like b&q to pick up turf here and there......need to order it up here via garden centres and they only deliver by the pallet load! Forget seed as chooks would gobble that faster than I could throw it.

[bill2b]

Not B&Q their rolls of turf are about £7 each. I will collect from a local dealer looking for £2 max per roll its a shame our neighbour has just had her front garden re turfed but never thought about it at the time. Local school football pitch is another option

[redsunset]

If the local kids are playing footie on mud, don't worry.....I won't dob you in it

[Chickabee]

My neighbour has fake grass. It's brill. Perhaps that's the way forward

[Cat tails]

But does he also have chickens?

I was actually thinking about fake grass. But would they nibble on it? And how do you clean it? Do their poo's wash away or do you need to clean it...

[Chickabee]

No he doesn't have chickens, he has real

Ocd. Think

He'd have a fit if I put my chickens on it. Looks good though. I think you just rake and hose it. Not much fun for the chooks though

[Cat tails]

They don't find mud very appealing either...

But they can at least dig themselves to China. Won't be so easy with plastic grass!