Hello, we're almost done building our coop and need to put it together outside. The problem is my husband and I can't decide on where it should go. The best spot is an area of our yard that the previous homeowners apparently dumped trash at. There are broken shards of glass, batteries, and other junk spread out. I've tried cleaning it up...but things keep appearing. If we spread a layer of fill dirt over it, will they uncover the junk? Will they eat it? The other area of our yard where it could go isn't as big or convenient, and it has nice grass that I'm assuming they will ruin. Suggestions? These chicks are growing fast! Okay thanks for the replies...I was thinking the same but hoped everyone would say that chickens are super smart and would peck around the bad stuff lol. Darn. We have lots of property...that was just the best spot (other than the very harmful crap). So we'll put it elsewhere. I'm so mad at the last homeowners! And if I rototill it, won't it just spread the stuff up more? It's all little pieces, it's really hard to get out. We just thought we would keep putting dirt over it.
I would put the coop someplace else! Chickens are known to ingest all kinds of oddball stuff. Batteries would be especially bad. If you keep having stuff show up so will they. Even if you put dirt over the top. Unless you excavate fairly deep and fill it in, that might work. Chickens love to dig big holes for dust bathing so they will likely keep turning stuff up too if the cover dirt isn't very deep. And yes, if the other potential area has grass... it won't after the chickens have been there for a short time. My current run had grass that actually lasted the first summer they were on it but it's a big run, 23' x 13'. Grass lasted a couple months, it's been a barren wasteland ever since!
Considering they just peck at the ground all day looking for food, they will find it eventually! I would pick a safer spot or work really hard to clean up the bad area. Maybe take a Rototiller to it?
X2 My chickens have dug down about 8 inches in the last year alone to the point I had topour cement to prevent the coop from being unlevel.
