Will chicken poop make it impossible to use the lawn?

[Keiko]

Hi guys, I am completely new to the chicken world. I have been wanting two chicken for a long time. We already have free range rabbits in our garden, and I would like our chicken to be free range as well. I am used to rabbit poop in the grass and it doesn't really bother me, since they mostly poop in certain areas of the lawn, and well rabbit poop is just hard, dried balls of grass, really. Rabbits poop A LOT, but I keep reading that so do chicken. And since chicken poop is moist, I gather it is not that nice to step on with bare feet.

So, my question: will two free range chicken in our backyard make it impossible for us to walk with bare feet in the garden? It's a small garden. 5381 square feet.

I don't hope my question is too silly. Please bear with me. I know chicken poop is a big issue for my husband, who already thinks that it is too much with the rabbit poop in the lawn.

 

[Hokum Coco]

will two free range chicken in our backyard make it impossible for us to walk with bare feet in the garden?

Even with just two chickens be prepared to hose off your feet before entering your home. Also be aware that chickens like to dig up flower beds and dig holes in lawns to dust bathe. They also could be unwanted company for any neighbours and could fall prey to a wide assortment of predators.
If left to free range I would advise supervision at all times.

If not I suggest that chicken poop will be the least of your worries and you will have bigger fish to fry.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Realistically... it might be a little unpleasant to walk barefoot in the grass if you have the chickens running loose. 2 birds isn't a lot but they poop everywhere and anywhere and as you noted, it's often far stickier than rabbit poop which are usually fairly dry and in neat little balls (though if you give chicken poop time to dry out, it does rake up out of grass decently well, so depending on your climate that might be an option). If you don't mind hosing off your feet it might not be a huge problem but I wouldn't want to walk in it myself. I would wager most chicken keepers wear mucking or gardening boots which can be hosed off, because you'll find you need to do that every now and then.

This is one reason I don't free range my birds, I want to keep the mess confined.

Also as noted above, don't expect your lawn to stay nice with chickens digging around. They love to dig up grass and gardens. With just 2 birds they won't wreck the whole thing but they'll probably find a few favorite spots and really work at those.

 

[azygous]

I really do understand your concerns, believe me. I'm pretty fussy about my leisure spaces and don't enjoy stepping in and tracking poop indoors on the bottom of my shoes. Even here where I happen to live, where it's mostly dirt and rocks, I police the area each day after my precious, adorable, entertaining chickens are done ranging and are back inside their enclosure. It takes only a few minutes with the bucket and tongs to pick up chicken poop, which is easy as pie to spot since they almost all sport a white "flag" of nitrates. But the worst are cecal poops. Those require hosing into the soil or scrubbing immediately off pavers to prevent stains. And those are the ones you will curse to the heavens if you step in them since they stink worse than the devil. But there aren't a lot of those, thankfully, since they make up maybe a fifth of the poop chickens squirt out.

Just two chickens isn't going to entail a whole lot of work keeping your grounds clean. If I can do it with twenty-four chickens, you will certainly face no big challenge cleaning up after two.

Relax. Get the chickens. Enjoy them.

 

[silver1polish]

Well, when it dries.... it doesn't really become "fertilizer" since poop and scratching destroyed their side of the yard. I have to go out every maybe.. 2 days ish? and clean the poop up with a kitty litter scooper. I would suggest only letting them have a portion of your yard. The way I did it was just using some cheap metal-rounded-off fence to keep them in one area. Also, like I said, chickens WILL DESTROY YOUR YARD!!!!! Pecking, Scratching, and lots of poo will do it. However, if you keep the poop at a minimum, you wont have to worry as much about it.

Hope that helps :3

 

[Randal Scott]

Yes I guess, you need to maintain a proper cleanliness in your lawn.

 

[MIchickenlady]

Hi guys, I am completely new to the chicken world. I have been wanting two chicken for a long time. We already have free range rabbits in our garden, and I would like our chicken to be free range as well. I am used to rabbit poop in the grass and it doesn't really bother me, since they mostly poop in certain areas of the lawn, and well rabbit poop is just hard, dried balls of grass, really. Rabbits poop A LOT, but I keep reading that so do chicken. And since chicken poop is moist, I gather it is not that nice to step on with bare feet.

So, my question: will two free range chicken in our backyard make it impossible for us to walk with bare feet in the garden? It's a small garden. 5381 square feet.

I don't hope my question is too silly. Please bear with me. I know chicken poop is a big issue for my husband, who already thinks that it is too much with the rabbit poop in the lawn.

yes, you will have chicken poops randomly...everywhere.