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Hedgey

Joined: 07 Jan 2005
Posts: 123
Location: southwell

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 05 8:00 pm Post subject: swampy

I think i have made my first mistake with my new chickens. they have a nice hen house with attached run, i also let them have the run of the garden when i am home. However, i have not moved the run since buying them almost 3 weeks ago. Now the grass looks like a scene from glastonbury !!!

Could anyone tell me how i should rotate the run to try to preserve the grass, or should i just leave it where it is and keep the damage and buy them wellies

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 05 8:07 pm Post subject: swampy

if they have to stay where they are you could put wood chip down which drains the rain through and will keep them drier..be aware that if they eat any of it though it may flavour the eggs...it has only happened once to me but it did happen

if you want to move the run and it's easy to do so then do so when you see fit.,,,some people can do it every day, some can't

in the winter they will make a muddy mess unless you can move the run but mine made a muddy mess of the poultry pen at my place and that's about 75 ft by maybe 50ft or more and i only have 8 hens but the ground in that area is just too low and water logged at that time of the year.

c'est la vie

Guest

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 05 9:06 pm Post subject:
cheers Nanny. where in suffok are you ? my Mum lives there in stanton near Bury st ed's often pop down , love the area. Hedgey

Hedgey

Joined: 07 Jan 2005
Posts: 123
Location: southwell

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 05 9:07 pm Post subject:
that was me as if you had not guessed !!!!

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 05 6:07 am Post subject:
If it's only been there three weeks the grass will recover quickly if all the bedding has been removed. We tend to leave our run in one place now, with wood shavings down which I clear away every so often. If it's on bare earth books also suggest you treat the soil with worming powder when worming the birds.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 05 7:47 am Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

We tend to leave our run in one place now, with wood shavings down which I clear away every so often

But we move it around every few months and the grass does recover...but then, what we call a lawn and what other people call a lawn may not be an exact match

(this year, we is mostly experimentin' wiv not mowin' the laaaawn...chickens absolutely love prowling about and nibbling the seed

)...for example they were next to our greenhouse in the autumn/winter/cool spring, now we have moved them to a shadier spot near the hedge. This time their old patch is storing potted plants and might become another bed but other places have recovered quite well.

Ours don't come to any harm from the mud but our garden, on chalk, even after weeks of rain has barely an inch of proper mud anywhere. I think if yours is very bad and they get much mud round them and it tends not to dry off then you need to take precautions because it might be more likely to cause problems like that...that's just what I think, not experience as I say.

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 05 2:13 pm Post subject: swampy
hi hedgy tried to send you a pm but it doesn't look like much happened the other side of suffolk.not far from framlingham out in the country where there aren't any street lights........

Hedgey

Joined: 07 Jan 2005
Posts: 123
Location: southwell

Posted: Sat Jul 30, 05 1:43 pm Post subject:
Ahh lovely area even better with no light pollution !! Im down in suffolk visiting the folks then onto Great Samford to see friends...

hils

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 568
Location: Nottingham

Posted: Sat Jul 30, 05 2:52 pm Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

This time their old patch is storing potted plants and might become another bed but other places have recovered quite well.

Could this be a good way to start a new bed - ie leave the chickens on a patch to kill off the grass. It will be fertilised by the poo and easier to dig because of lack of foliage??? What do you think?

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