Shilojo Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 We've had three hybrids since March that we allow to free-range around our medium-ish suburban garden most days - time varying between 1 hour and all day. When we got them I was prepared for the devastation they would wreak, and it's not been too bad really as we mainly have big strudy shrubs that seem to withstand even the most determined assaults. However, I was completely unprepared for the sheer volume of poo on our lawn. We poo pick every week or so and then mow the lawn and hose down the smeary bits but I still seem to have a lawn which could best be described as a chicken toilet. Trouble is I have two small children (2.5 and 11 months) and it's really impacting on our use of the garden as I'm increasingly reluctant to let them play out. It didn't seem so bad earlier in the summer, maybe because we were usually out with the chickens so the chickens seemed to keep more to the beds to avoid the rampaging toddler. Today I thought that we'd take advantage of the late summer sun and go out this afternoon but I've just spent over 1.5 hours poo picking and hosing and I'm still not happy to let the children out to play. What do other people do? I'm considering a bigger walk in run and letting the girls free-range less but not sure how big this would need to be. To be honest, I've even considered re-homing. We have lovely photos from last summer of the toddler running around barefoot and naked in the garden all summer with his toys but I know that we wouldn't be able to do this next year with my youngest because of the poo. Or am I being too fastidious? When my oldest first learned to walk we took him to the park with his brand new, never worn outside shoes and the first thing he did was step in dog poo. I'm fairly sure that a good amount of the poo I'm picking up isn't even from our chickens! Sorry for the essay. Any advice or tales from experience would be gratefully received! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaisyAndBobby Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Three chickens will generate a lot of poo. We will poo pick two or three times a day when ours are out in the garden, and we only have two hens. I couldn't imagine not doing it for a week. I'd suggested picking a lot more often, so it will take much less time and you'll have much less for the kids to potentially step in. Our little girl plays out in the garden during the summer bare foot and we've not had any issues as we tend to scoop up poo's as soon as we see them. What size run do the hens have? You could also consider some of the Omlet netting to keep them in one place when they are out of their run, and therefore keep the lawn free for your little ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I take a different view - I'd curtail the free-ranging. It only takes one poo ... I don't have children, but I keep my hens out of the patio because I got fed up of the sweeping, hosing and brushing. I use Omlet netting to restrict them (mostly, there's always one that gets through!) to the rest of the garden. If you don't have one already, then I suggest that a walk-in run is a blessing in many ways. If you search some of Aint "Ooops, word censored!"ody Here's posts, she corrals her hens into the borders with netting, so that the lawn is clear and if, as you say, you have sturdy shrubs then that might be the answer. If I had young children, who are likely to want to run, roll, lie and do handstands on the lawn, then I wouldn't want my hens using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Well, I started with 4 chickens 5 years ago and it was all very lovely.....they used to free range everywhere! They loved sunbathing on my front door mat and it was all very twee! So we walked in chicken poo, yuck! My children are older than yours and it was still horrid, footballs covered in the stuff, visitors walking down the drive walking in poo too . After a summer of this, under family protests, I put my foot down and the following Spring a walk in run was erected with horrid builders fencing round it ( the latter was cheap!) this year we had the area landscaped with proper wood fencing around the chickens. So they can still free range and poo, but we don't have to walk in it. I poo pick the run daily (10 chickens now) and sweep the lovely new brick path in the chicken enclosure most days too. I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I agree with Olly I would restrict them to one area, or make a walk in run. My daughter is no longer small, but the 'herd' is still kept off certain areas of the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I would go for the biggest walk in run you can afford or the netting. My first chickens used to roam everywhere and no matter how much poop sweeping I did there would always be some I missed that would either get trodden in or our old dog would eat. Getting my girls a wooden run next to their Omlet run was the best thing I did and of course they are always safe from foxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyBean2605 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Another vote for Omlet netting, I got fed up clearing up after 2 hybrids so bought some netting on ebay. Its great, they very rarely escape and it allows me to split up the garden into us and them sections. Easily moveable too for when you mow the lawn or want to change the bit of garden they have (it may get ruined easily, particularly at this timeof year ). They also have a walk in run to allow more freedom during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooksRCute Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I haven't got young children, but I also fence off a portion for their free ranging. I poo pick WIR several times a day time permitting, as a courtesy to my near neighbours & because quite frankly, I can't stand the smell. If they are free ranging, I do a poo sweep after they've return to the run. I realise with a young family or full time job, time to do this this can be limited, so I agree fencing off a dedicated area is the best way forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilojo Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Thanks all. I think you're right and I need to restrict their free ranging to only part of the garden. I hadn't wanted to do it at first as partitioning off part of the lawn wouldn't give either us or the girls a decent space and it would look odd (our garden, in order from the house out, is roughly half lawn, quarter beds with lots of big shrubs/small trees and quarter wilderness behind a hedge which the girls love). The run is currently taking up part of the lawn so that it's near the house but I could partition off the beds and wilderness and herd them there when it's time to free range. Long term we plan to clear the wilderness part a bit and plant some fruit trees there so we could also relocate the run at the same time. Only downside is that we would no longer be able to see them from the house which would be a shame, but worth it for a poo free lawn for the children to pay out. As an aside, I have never poo picked our run. They're on wood chippings so that I rake over it once a fortnight and I use biodri roughly once a month. I only notice a smell if it's been a good few days since I last cleaned out the house. Am I doing something wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilojo Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Forgot to say that I know chickens are known for wreaking gardens but, in one like ours where it's all big shrubs and trees and no delicate bedding plants, they're actually a godsend as it means absolutely no weeding whatsoever! Free eggs and no weeding; it's almost worth a pooey lawn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I'd opt for some Omlet netting to contain them within your shrub beds and off the lawn. It's green and amazingly is barely noticeable once it is up so it won't spoil the look of your garden or stop the children watching the hens. Our chooks strain their necks through the holes to try and bite bits of grass so we have a neatly trimmed border as well! We've keep our netting up permanently so the (2) girls can rummage around outside their WIR when free-ranging but it can of course be easily (well, quite easily) moved as and when you need to. Before they were contained in the borders (at the point when we were thinking of moving and needed to get the lawn back to looking half-decent) we always poo picked at the end of each day using an old spatula to 'ping the poo' into the flower beds. Got it down to an Olympic standard and it was very satisfying to see the lumps of poo fly through the air! This doesn't work for the 'curry' poos of course, which are gross. There's no way you can let your little ones safely play on the grass if they're sharing it with chooks but don't get rid of them (the chooks, that is) or you'll miss all the joys that come from keeping hens and your children will miss them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Just remember that as with all kiddies which have access to livestock, do worm both fowl and children regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 To make your chickens smell sweeter, try bokashi bran. I give mine a couple of handfuls (10 chickens) 1-2 times a week. It's available from omlet and also wiggly wrigglers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilojo Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 Thanks Dogmother. We do worm the chickens but hadn't thought about the children. We are scrupulous about handwashing though. Will look into it. We do use Bokashi (when I remember). Maybe that's why the smell never gets too bad. Or perhaps my nice is just desensitised due to a baby in nappies and a toilet-training toddler! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Ovex tablets are good for worming kiddies, they taste nice too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 You have to worm children? I'm definitely overdue if thats the case! We have never poo-picked the garden or lawn in 10 years The run gets cleaned out every month or so but not the garden. I've never noticed it being a problem, it just gets mowed into the lawn or disappears when it rains. What brand of feed are they on at the moment? Three hybrids wouldn't make that much poo, generally the better quality feed, more is digested so they eat less and poo less... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 You have to worm children? I'm definitely overdue if that's the case! Yes, especially if they're in contact with livestock. Young kiddies always have their hands in their mouths Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooksRCute Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Just remember that as with all kiddies which have access to livestock, do worm both fowl and children regularly. Dogmother, I take my hat off to you. I'd never even thought about this possibility! Forewarned is forearmed as someone once said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 comes from growing up around animals.... if you complained of an itchy bum, you got dosed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooksRCute Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 comes from growing up around animals.... if you complained of an itchy bum, you got dosed! Ok we, I'm cracking up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
