Free Ranging Hens And Poo

[CatsvsDogs]

So first off, I haven't gotten my chickens yet and I am already trying to get my friends into it He has a great yard for the hens to free range the yard during the day. His concern is that by letting them run free there will be poo all around the yard and the grandkids will get in it.

So his yard is 60' x 60'. Lets say that he has 2 hens and they are out during the day for 8 hrs per day everyday. Will his yard have poo all over, like he thinks? Of course they poo during the day but I was under the impression the majority is done on the roost?

 

[DaveD]

The kids would love being paid two or three dollars to pick up the poop before playing. Since grandpas always give money anyway, he can get something back in return - win/win

-David

 

[sotelomary]

Yes, they will poop all over the place. I was letting my 5 chickens free range for about 2 hours each day and I was having to hose the yard and patios down. I have a daycare and can't have poop all over the place. My water bill went way up so I had to fence off a small area for them where I don't have to hose it down every day.

Hope this helps. If the grandkids aren't over every day, perhaps you can hose it down the day before just to have it clean. I used to think that I would be able to pick the poop up but you can't. Some of it is soft and runny.

Mary

 

[jdellosso]

Fencing an area off designated for the chickens would be your best bet. I started out letting mine have free reign-free range, and it got old pretty fast. You'll be scooping a lot. I just have two, but they don't seem to mind having their 10x10 pen. I use the poo for fertilizer in my garden, and it's much easier to pick it up in a smaller area. It's good for the grass and vegetation, but can be to "hot" (too much nitrogen) and can burn plants; it needs to go in the compost bin first. Give them a grassy spot, and remember that they eat everything in sight that grows! You can always move the makeshift pen around the yard, but tracking chicken poop into your house (or having my cats do it) is not fun. Good luck! They are a blast!

 

[CityChook]

My chickens only want to poo where I am sure to walk. Or on my back door step.

 

[fiberart57]

Don't forget it's not just the poo but lots of holes. During the winter when there was snow covering most of the ground, anything not snow got dug up. Now some of the areas look like a lunar landscape. They especially like to dig around the roots of the roses. This weekend is going to be a preventative fencing weekend.

Mary

 

[gryeyes]

Chickens will poop exactly where you and anyone else will be sure to walk.

They will also want to congregate near doorways and/or sliding glass windows, to hint that they should come inside (whether or not they have ever BEEN allowed inside the house). They're just hoping to catch you right away as you come out to see them. That congregation will create poop right there by the door(s).

I simply keep Coop Shoes by the back door. They're Crocs, so they slip on and off, easily.

 

[nursemeh]

I too planned on free-ranging mine all day every day- yikes! poop everywhere!!! It gets to be a real problem esp as it gets hotter here. Last summer the flies were horrible, so I am, already on the offensive with fly traps and fly predators. Now, I could just stop free-ranging them- NO WAY!!!

Now, though, they are spending more time ranging further from the house, I think they have eaten everything interesting in our immediate yard area. It's nice when they are still visiable but out at our back pasture area, not sitting right at my back door! NEVER feed them right by your back door- they will hang out there pooping while they wait for treats!!

The best plan that has worked for us is to let them free range every other day, or just half days, evening time is the best- they just hunt and peck til the sun starts to set.

For the poo problem I have a "poo shovel" by the back door. It is actually an old grill cleaning tool. It has a scraper for the harder stuff and also a hard bristled brush for the wetter ones to scrub it off, with a little dirt mixed into it, I just kind of sweep it away from the pathways where we walk into the yard.

If we are going to be outside for awhile on our deck- I will go around like a lunatic cleaning up chicken poo first! My 2 yr old will alert me to the little areas with a cry "chick chick poo!" and I come running.

I use a baby gate to keep them off my deck, as cleaning that off got old fast.

Can you tell these creatures are totally spoiled?

hth

 

[nzpouter]

keep a dog... they usually eat all the poo...

 

[cobrien]

If you get a dog s/he will happily get rid of the poo for you and consolidate all the little chicken poos into a few big dog poos per day

Seriously - I agree with what the others have said. Either fence them in or scoop the poo before the kids go out to play. We let our 4 young ones free range in the yard and scoop the poop before our dogs go out so they don't eat it (one is allergic to chicken food and it is just plain gross anyway). We don't mind doing it but it would be too much for most people.