- Thread starter
- #11
- Feb 14, 2011
- 6
- 0
- 7
Quote:
Thank you! Yes, this place is so cool!
I do understand that chickens can be disastrous to landscaping, but I'm really not much on manicured lawns, and flower gardens and mulch go in the much smaller front yard, which did at least get enough care to make it repairable. We live in a partially wooded area, and have several large OLD trees in the yard, they must be 40 to 60 feet tall, and the canopy pretty much dapples the majority of the back yard all day long. Add five dogs to that to start with, and two dogs to it now that the most elderly of our beloved pets have passed on, and honestly, a well manicured lawn is out of the question no matter what I try, lol. We are aiming for something much more natural looking and beneficial, and that tolerates shade. clovers and vetches for example, occasionally some "cover crops" to break up and feed the soil. Not quite finished with that research yet, as I'm still trying to make sure what is safe for cats, dogs, children, AND chickens!
I am *somewhat* lucky on the chicken math. I'm a strange bird, as I don't particularly like chicks. I don't know why. Love chickens... but just kinda "eh... ok" about chicks. I've never had the urge to stop and play with the easter chicks, and I never wanted them when we had land and chickens as kid, though my mom tells me that I once threw quite a fit that I couldn't have the hen that had laid the eggs that turned into the easter chicks. Apparently she was not for sale, and I had a right little tantrum, lol. Now... I might be in trouble the second someone mentions some girls they need to get rid of just to lessen their numbers, but I'm fairly safe as far as the spring chicks are concerned. LOL.
If there is a mouse to be had, and they can beat Buddy to it, they are welcome to it if thats what they want. We have a compost pile, so whatever they leave behind can just be buried in there til it turns to dirt with everything else. We are pretty easy going around here. I prefer things to be as natural as possible while still safe for everyone else involved. I think thats why the tractor idea appeals to me so much. I want the chickens, I must take care of the chickens since they did not choose to enter this environment, to me this includes a place to run and just be a chicken, and a place to sleep without fear. stationary coops and pens, unless I'm looking at all the wrong kinds, all seem to end up as dirt yards with no chance to grow back, where as the tractors are moved, providing fresh grass and ground, and that just seems healthier to me.
Just to be clear, when I say tractor, I am including a honest to god hen house with that, with doors and all to keep them secure from predators at night, and a large area outside for all the things chickens want to do in the dirt. So, more like a stationary coop and pen... only with wheels. Not just a caged area with chickens in it and only tarps covering it. The cover I asked about was for the pen area only, so as to create a pen area that the chickens can be in year round.
I'm probably not explaining this very well, and I'm sorry for that. I'll dig around and see if I can find some pictures of the right idea and post them later.
Thank you! Yes, this place is so cool!
I do understand that chickens can be disastrous to landscaping, but I'm really not much on manicured lawns, and flower gardens and mulch go in the much smaller front yard, which did at least get enough care to make it repairable. We live in a partially wooded area, and have several large OLD trees in the yard, they must be 40 to 60 feet tall, and the canopy pretty much dapples the majority of the back yard all day long. Add five dogs to that to start with, and two dogs to it now that the most elderly of our beloved pets have passed on, and honestly, a well manicured lawn is out of the question no matter what I try, lol. We are aiming for something much more natural looking and beneficial, and that tolerates shade. clovers and vetches for example, occasionally some "cover crops" to break up and feed the soil. Not quite finished with that research yet, as I'm still trying to make sure what is safe for cats, dogs, children, AND chickens!
I am *somewhat* lucky on the chicken math. I'm a strange bird, as I don't particularly like chicks. I don't know why. Love chickens... but just kinda "eh... ok" about chicks. I've never had the urge to stop and play with the easter chicks, and I never wanted them when we had land and chickens as kid, though my mom tells me that I once threw quite a fit that I couldn't have the hen that had laid the eggs that turned into the easter chicks. Apparently she was not for sale, and I had a right little tantrum, lol. Now... I might be in trouble the second someone mentions some girls they need to get rid of just to lessen their numbers, but I'm fairly safe as far as the spring chicks are concerned. LOL.
If there is a mouse to be had, and they can beat Buddy to it, they are welcome to it if thats what they want. We have a compost pile, so whatever they leave behind can just be buried in there til it turns to dirt with everything else. We are pretty easy going around here. I prefer things to be as natural as possible while still safe for everyone else involved. I think thats why the tractor idea appeals to me so much. I want the chickens, I must take care of the chickens since they did not choose to enter this environment, to me this includes a place to run and just be a chicken, and a place to sleep without fear. stationary coops and pens, unless I'm looking at all the wrong kinds, all seem to end up as dirt yards with no chance to grow back, where as the tractors are moved, providing fresh grass and ground, and that just seems healthier to me.
Just to be clear, when I say tractor, I am including a honest to god hen house with that, with doors and all to keep them secure from predators at night, and a large area outside for all the things chickens want to do in the dirt. So, more like a stationary coop and pen... only with wheels. Not just a caged area with chickens in it and only tarps covering it. The cover I asked about was for the pen area only, so as to create a pen area that the chickens can be in year round.
I'm probably not explaining this very well, and I'm sorry for that. I'll dig around and see if I can find some pictures of the right idea and post them later.
