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Bill Pritchard
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 Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 4:36 pm Post subject: The Latest Whinge |
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Droppings!! Since we(notice how it>s we when there>s a problem) stopped keeping
the four warrens in a run(£120 for three weeks use, but I>m not bitter),
everywhere I step I have a soft landing. My garden is approx 65ftx 40ft, what
kind of area would I have to fence off so that, with a little housekeeping, I
could keep them without moving them around?
Bill Pritchard
Retired and Emotional |
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Jay
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| Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 8:32 pm Post subject: Re: The Latest Whinge |
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"Bill Pritchard" <wppritchard@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040215053651.17312.00000273@mb-m13.aol.com...
[quote]Droppings!! Since we(notice how it>s we when there>s a problem) stopped
keeping
the four warrens in a run(£120 for three weeks use, but I>m not bitter),
everywhere I step I have a soft landing. My garden is approx 65ftx 40ft,
what
kind of area would I have to fence off so that, with a little
housekeeping, I
could keep them without moving them around?
Bill Pritchard
Retired and Emotional
[/quote]
Hello again Bill
I>m not sure if you have had any replies but none appeared on my server so
maybe my reply will prompt others. I don>t have any definitive answers -
more questions and observations.
First did I miss something? Why did you stop using the run? IIRC you bought
the sort of house that has a run attached. I think this will still be useful
at dawn and dusk (when you may be more vulnerable to foxes) but I guess you
are now letting them out into the rest of the garden via the run door. Yes?
If so then I think you will still want to move them around occasionally as
they will stay closer to house and run thereby making it muddier and wearing
out the grass there quicker.
In terms of space, Jill or someone did give a guide recently I think (or it
may have been in Country Smallholding) but if you think about it you could
make a comparison with the size of the run. They are currently getting heaps
more space. They will enjoy it but maybe they don>t really need that much
area esp if you also want to save some of your garden.
Also if you have the space then it can be advisable to rotate the ground
they use (say twice a year) to prevent the build up of parasites. You could
change the ground area used at the same time as worming them.
The chicken poo can make quite a mess of your garden cant it? I remember in
our old garden it was lovely having the hens wandering all over the place
but it did get awkward especially when we had guests who didn>t have such an
open mind to wandering around the s**t.
I hope this helps a little,
regards
Jay |
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Simon McMenzie
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 10:44 pm Post subject: Re: The Latest Whinge |
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Hi Bill,
As you know I have the same ark as you (Boughton 902A). My four seems happy
in there, never been let out (yet), and I move the ark twice a week onto
fresh grass. I plan to let them out ONLY when I>m about, because we have
foxes nearby, and I>m sure I>ll have to put up with droppings around the
garden. To be honest I>m not looking forward to that.
It seems from your question that you do NOT want to have to move the ark
around - I suspect that even if you fenced off an area around the ark it
would still get messy at the ark entrance, thus requiring the ark to be
moved on occassion, ragardless of the total size of their pen.
When you mention the 'run' do you mean the part of the ark under the
sleeping area, or have you bought one of the extension runs? I>d love to
hear from anyone who has bought one as I>m thinking about purchasing one
too!
Regards,
Simon McMenzie
BTW, 2nd egg came today, but I>ve eaten neither as I have a cold and the
taste would be wated on me at the moment. Pity.
"Jay" <j_green156@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1077028854.31883.0@echo.uk.clara.net...
[quote]
"Bill Pritchard" <wppritchard@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040215053651.17312.00000273@mb-m13.aol.com...
Droppings!! Since we(notice how it>s we when there>s a problem) stopped
keeping
the four warrens in a run(£120 for three weeks use, but I>m not bitter),
everywhere I step I have a soft landing. My garden is approx 65ftx 40ft,
what
kind of area would I have to fence off so that, with a little
housekeeping, I
could keep them without moving them around?
Bill Pritchard
Retired and Emotional
Hello again Bill
I>m not sure if you have had any replies but none appeared on my server so
maybe my reply will prompt others. I don>t have any definitive answers -
more questions and observations.
First did I miss something? Why did you stop using the run? IIRC you
bought
the sort of house that has a run attached. I think this will still be
useful
at dawn and dusk (when you may be more vulnerable to foxes) but I guess
you
are now letting them out into the rest of the garden via the run door.
Yes?
If so then I think you will still want to move them around occasionally as
they will stay closer to house and run thereby making it muddier and
wearing
out the grass there quicker.
In terms of space, Jill or someone did give a guide recently I think (or
it
may have been in Country Smallholding) but if you think about it you could
make a comparison with the size of the run. They are currently getting
heaps
more space. They will enjoy it but maybe they don>t really need that much
area esp if you also want to save some of your garden.
Also if you have the space then it can be advisable to rotate the ground
they use (say twice a year) to prevent the build up of parasites. You
could
change the ground area used at the same time as worming them.
The chicken poo can make quite a mess of your garden cant it? I remember
in
our old garden it was lovely having the hens wandering all over the place
but it did get awkward especially when we had guests who didn>t have such
an
open mind to wandering around the s**t.
I hope this helps a little,
regards
Jay
[/quote] |
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Bill Pritchard
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 10:52 pm Post subject: Re: The Latest Whinge |
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I did buy an extension run which measures 90 inches long but is only the height
of the access panel. This gives them quite a decent run but I noticed when I
let them out that they were unable to stretch upwards in the run. I only have
four warrens but I would be wary of keeping them in just the underneath of the
ark with the feed tray, water and ramp in the way. As for the entrance to the
ark, the chickens don>t seem to congregate there and roam until bedtime. The
other major problem with the run is finding enough room to move it to. With the
ark and access you>re looking at an area roughly 15x6ft. Once you start
avoiding flower beds and vegetable plots you need a bloody big garden to keep
putting it on fresh ground. I>m hoping an area approx.35x25ft will stay
reasonably clean moving the ark in this occasionally. But let yours out, to
have them run towards you when you go out and then follow you around is
brilliant.
Bill Pritchard
Retired and Emotional |
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Jay
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: The Latest Whinge |
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"Bill Pritchard" <wppritchard@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040218115215.21792.00002485@mb-m06.aol.com...
[quote]I did buy an extension run which measures 90 inches long but is only the
height
of the access panel. This gives them quite a decent run but I noticed when
I
let them out that they were unable to stretch upwards in the run. I only
have
four warrens but I would be wary of keeping them in just the underneath of
the
ark with the feed tray, water and ramp in the way. As for the entrance to
the
ark, the chickens don>t seem to congregate there and roam until bedtime.
The
other major problem with the run is finding enough room to move it to.
With the
ark and access you>re looking at an area roughly 15x6ft. Once you start
avoiding flower beds and vegetable plots you need a bloody big garden to
keep
putting it on fresh ground. I>m hoping an area approx.35x25ft will stay
reasonably clean moving the ark in this occasionally. But let yours out,
to
have them run towards you when you go out and then follow you around is
brilliant.
Bill Pritchard
Retired and Emotional
[/quote]
Hindsight is wonderful - I>ve bought or done lots of things with the
chickens (and dog but that>s another story) and then thought or found a
better way.
For example I had a concrete hardstanding created for the hen house and run
to sit on. The problem is that it>s at one end of the (long) orchard area
and it would have made more sense and an easier life for rotating the ground
if I>d sited it in the middle of the area.
And maybe I>d have been better off keeping the hens somewhere quite
different anyway. I>d also now like a different style house but the one I
got was the best for our old garden - but we only had it for about five
months before we needed to move.
So I>m now thinking very carefully about what I want and where for more hens
before settling on anything.
Regards
Jay |
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Jay
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 6:57 pm Post subject: Re: The Latest Whinge |
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"Bill Pritchard" <wppritchard@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040218115215.21792.00002485@mb-m06.aol.com...
[quote]I did buy an extension run which measures 90 inches long but is only the
height
of the access panel. This gives them quite a decent run but I noticed when
I
let them out that they were unable to stretch upwards in the run. I only
have
four warrens but I would be wary of keeping them in just the underneath of
the
ark with the feed tray, water and ramp in the way. As for the entrance to
the
ark, the chickens don>t seem to congregate there and roam until bedtime.
The
other major problem with the run is finding enough room to move it to.
With the
ark and access you>re looking at an area roughly 15x6ft. Once you start
avoiding flower beds and vegetable plots you need a bloody big garden to
keep
putting it on fresh ground. I>m hoping an area approx.35x25ft will stay
reasonably clean moving the ark in this occasionally. But let yours out,
to
have them run towards you when you go out and then follow you around is
brilliant.
Bill Pritchard
Retired and Emotional
[/quote]
Have you tried doing any serious gardening/digging with the hens around yet
?
Jay |
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