Noodle Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Hi there Since our fox attack my girls have been in their run 24/7 except for an hour last week I hate it, they hate it......lots of debate with OH re merits of buying or making a walk in run for the girls to give them more room and an oppertunity to play....still no decision made and I am now being accused of being obsessed me....never.....went to bed with a book on building chicken runs last night....who said I was obsessed Anyway.... the point of this thread is that I have just been outside to my girls to give them a treat and they are slipping and sliding all over the place. Clay soil and rain do not mix. There is nothing left of the grass, hemcore, just MUD My only thought is to put them on the patio for a while. Does anyone else do this and how happy are the chooks with no forageing to be done. My girls are such good friends, I would hate for them to be sooooo bored that they take it out on each other. But its becoming a mud bath out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 My girls are in a home made run (which takes up the same ground space occupied by eglu plus run) which is on a layer of paving slabs on top of concrete. They have aubiose in the run. My garden is all concrete or decking so they have never experienced digging around in the mud etc and they still seem very happy chooks! They get perches, have a ladder and spend loads of time scratching round the aubiose to find all the nice bits of food I scatter through it. When I'm there to supervise they get to run round the garden and on a really special occasion get a turf to play on (eat). Anyway, my opinion is that your girls will be fine on the patio (make sure the drainage is adequate), and life will be easier if you're not trying to clean out a mud bath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 It's really squidgy where my girls are now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovemychooks Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Noodle, I think it was Poet that has her chickens on the patio with wood or bark chipping on the floor for them to scratch around in, but as Laura & CTB said you can also put Aubiose in the run too !! Put a few mealworms in and the girls will love it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adeandsu Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Hi We moved our chickens onto the patio on Monday, and so far so good. Like yours, the lawn inside their run had become a quagmire just a day after moving them. They seem far happier (and certainly look it) on the auboise we've scattered in the run on the patio. It also has the added benefit that we no londer risk slipping over in the mud ourselves when we go to feed and water them. Ours free-range on the patio and an area of garden enclosed by the Omlet fencing. There are a couple of large conifers which keep the soil beneath them dry - so great for dustbathing. I'll try to post some photos when I can get around to it! Ade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 When mine are out in the garden they are on stones or decking, with plenty of rails and walls to perch on and plants and shrubs to peck for (through next door's fence!). They have never known the joy of grass - except for when OH manages to 'obtain' strips of turf now and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
