Warm boot recommendations please

[helenarees]

Hello,

 

I've got my eglu cube set up ready for my ex battery chickens arriving on Wednesday, I'm now suffering from nerves and I'm worried about keeping the chickens on grass (first time having chickens). I was thinking of covering the grass with hemcore inside the run (from reading the posts here - is that correct?). I've bought the extended run and also the net and poles, but I'm worried that they'll eat the longer grass outside the run and become ill, is that something I should be worried about? It's not feasible for me to mow the grass at this time of year.

 

Thanks

 

Helena

[Guest]

My girls run around the garden all day, they have access to grass and all manner of plants. They eat some, the leave others - they don't get ill though.

[Janty]

My girls also have access to the whole garden. They have eaten the christmas sprouts, my husbands rhubarb and anythings else they have fancied and they haven't been ill. A bit pooey maybe after scoffing too many apples but not ill.

[UkButton]

Same as above mine have access to the whole garden and eat what they like... Fence, Brickwork and even some green stuff. No i'll effects to date.

[lozkate]

Can't say I was worried but I wondered about the longer grass in my veg garden and the threat of impaction (which I'd read about on here).

 

Our girls run around for most of the day. They've cleared all weed from the fruit bed and left the fruit bushes alone (no training required!). They've truned over the other beds and left my last few courgettes alone! and they've strimmed the edges of the grassy bits! Still can't get them to retrieve tho!!

 

I've watched them eating the long grass. They seem to take it down in smaller chunks. tip first then another bit etc. I guess if there were only long grass to eatand it was in short supply then they might gorge (SP?) themselves and cause problems. Fact is there's heaps of stuff for munching. I left the door of the green house open recently and they were discovered munching through the bottom 2 feet of 36 tomato plants. Basil's gone!

 

They're very happy.

 

Hope that helps.

 

LOz

[Olly]

as I understand it, the problem is not with eating grass as such - that's fine - it's the long grass which can get stuck in their crop and cause problems.

 

I haven't had this problem but I know other people on here have, so I would be wary of letting them loose if it's very long. There will be someone else on here who knows the facts, I'm sure - I'm just going on what I've read somewhere.