Free ranging poo management

[Lyndzie]

I have a small flock of 9 birds that roam my backyard freely. We love them, but they leave poo in their wake and it ends up in the bottom of shoes and tracked into the house. What is the best way of dealing with this?

 

[Tamdog]

Get those automatic sprayers that cut on with movement and keep them out of areas where you walk. I had to get little wrought iron doors on my porch so the chickens can not come up there. I also make the chickens stay in the back area of the yard not by the house by shooing them away and sprays of water.

 

[Anime2lover]

We let ours free range and have no issues really with poo. That being said, our dogs probably eat a lot of it.

 

[RubelliteRose]

We have croc style "chicken shoes" that stay on the back porch.

 

[Kluckners]

We have croc style "chicken shoes" that stay on the back porch.

Haha we also have crocs that stay on the back porch for this reason.

 

[igorsMistress]

Coop shoes for everyone, take them off before you go inside. It keeps the poop in the yard and you don't wear your public shoes in the backyard.

 

[aart]

Number two(hahaha!) reason my birds are confined.

 

[Sally PB]

Sometimes I feel badly that my chickens don't free range. Then I'll see a post about predators getting a chicken and I feel better that they are safe. Then I read this post and grinned. Thanks Aart.

 

[Lyndzie]

Thanks everyone! We really enjoy having the chickens free in the yard, they are so entertaining with their hijinks. Thanks for the idea of yard shoes, I’ll float that past my husband. Currently we’re reducing their yard time, which reduces the poop amount.

Good point about the predators. The hawks has been such a nuisance this summer, fortunately no losses, but a couple close calls. I’m looking forward to our cockerel maturing so he can help guard the ladies.

 

[piminuse]

We use a few of the options listed above, but for quick reference:

1. Pair of outdoor only shoes that are easy to hose down.
2. Dogs. They hoover all the poop and the chickens eat the dog poop. It's a gross, GROSS cycle.
3. Periodically hose the lawn--it breaks up the poo and helps fertilize the grass.
4. Block off access to anything you really want to keep clean like a patio or deck. Barring that, add a crinkly/slick cover that they won't like to step on (we use a wrinkled tarp for our patio tables).

Ah, the joys of chicken ownership....