Muddy Chicken run!

Hi there.  My garden is exactly the same axcept no foxes etc.  We had lovely lawns but our girls ate there side.  We also have dogs and they pee'd and killed there side and then the girls ate wat was left.  As you say in winter its a nightmare, the mud.  So we went and got some cheap (Alot of folk give away free slabs too) several slabs so most of it is roughly slabbed and they have mud on the far part.  In summer i buy them a roll of turf every now and then and also grow a section of pure grass in a sandpit which they make vanish within an hour.  Then cover it in netting etc and re-grow again until the right length.  My 6 girls have all got on just fine with no permenant grass.  What they now love loads and loads is when we play "Hunt the worms" as every now and again i lift the slabs and boy oh boy there's some juicy worms under there and its the best game they love.

 Thank so much for your suggestions, we do have some spare paving and I do like the tree chipping idea so I will give both a go.

I am so pleased I found this forum as I have picked up lots of helpful advice already. Maybe I will become experienced enough one day to pass on tips too.

Oh I should have also mentioned that if you use mulch let it rot down afew weeks first and don't use any with yew shreddings in.

HF