[pandoradeus]

My husband surprised me a couple of days ago with the arrival of Rose and Donna. Wish I'd taken the plunge earlier, haven't stopped grinning yet and the kids love them!

Just a couple of questions, my ladies free range and I have a large patio area, what's the best way to clear up the chicken poo?! Sounds really silly but if it was solid like cats or dogs, easy! But its not! Currently using kitchen roll and water but there must be an easier way?!

Also how noisy are cockerels, we live in quite an urban area and not sure the neighours would appreciate crack of dawn alarm calls

thankyou!

[Sue33]

hi pandoradeus, welcome to the site and also to chicken keeping 
they are lovely aren't they!

To answer your question I can only tell you want i do and that is i have a dustpan and brush to get most of the poop up, usually i get all of it but for the sloppy bits (sorry!) i just hose it down regularly.  Having said that i now fence my girls off and they can't access the patio 

[daisy1990]

Washing off with a hosepipe is the quickest and easiest way.  All bird poo will remove colour so if your patio is coloured flagstone dont leave it on too much.  Cockerels are very noisy and really not suitable for suburban gardens.  There is really no need to keep them with hens (it is a common misconception) if you want to fertilise eggs you can borrow one!  There are lots of posts on here from people who have had to get rid of their birds following neighbour complaints so I would just enjoy your birds!

[Jeanette]

I use a dust pan and brush then wash the area down. It is easier to fence of any areasthet you don't want them to be on. Chickens are very distructive and eat everything if you have got anything in the garden that you don't want to be distroyed Fence the chickens in.
Also in a lot of urban places there are foxes so you will need to keep a very close eye on your girls.
Cockerals can be very noisy and don't just crow in the morning. You will also have fertiized eggs with a cockerel so if there is noroom to have chicks running around then don't get a cockerel.

[joyfull]

my boys start crowing at 4 in the morning and will do the odd crow throughout the day so really in an urban setting I would not advise having a boy.

[Casey76]

Also, boys don't just crow at dawn and dusk... they also crow at random times during the day.

The crow can be quiet piercing, and I certainly wouldn't recommend having a cock if you have close neighbours.

[nicky d]

hello and welcome to the forum, congrats on your new arrivals.   The dreaded chicken poo lol lol lol, they do rather alot of it dont they.   All i do is go round a pick up the more solid poos, dispose of them and then get a jug of water and water in the really runny ones,  theres no point in trying to pick them up especially if they are on grass as you end up making a right mess lol.    You will have to take some piccys of your new girls and post them on .   nickyx

[pandoradeus]

thankyou for your advice - have decided very sensibly against geting a cockerel and instead have opted to get some more hens

Fortunately where I live, my garden is walled, relics of a victorian stable. HAve seen foxes about and will keep a close eye.
Have got a couple of pics of the Ladies and our 1st eg :-)

[joyfull]

it will be the best egg you have ever tasted - so fresh  Just don't try cooking it as a boiled egg as fresh eggs don't peel very well 

Beware foxes will come into a garden even when you are there 

[hillfooter]

Hi Pandoradeus,

What a lovely name you have!  Welcome to the bonkers world of chicken keeping. 

Just ignore what the other chookes have said about cockerels they are lovely little fellows who will show the ladies where to poop to save your patio and they can easily be trained to crow in a whisper and if you are very patient to lay the most delicious eggs too.
 
It just so happens I have 5 cockerels available free to a good home, delightful little chaps.  Just say the word and I could pop them round to start you off

HF

[8doubles]

Hi Pandoradeus , glad you are enjoying the chooks. Before you make the flock a lot bigger just a quick warning about things to come........winter and mud.
 The less hens you have the less damage will be done by free ranging and you may still have something resembling a garden. It is easy to forget sliding about in muddy wellies in the pouring rain when the sun is shining.

[pandoradeus]

haha! oh yes mud! expert on all things muddy - boys! Lots and lots of boys! I doubt if a couple more chickens can out mud the tribe!

Little more concerned about the Ladies freeranging in the winter, have read a couple of posts about it but they seem to be relating to coops. I have got a couple of idiots guide to chicken keeping, but like an idiot I can't remember where I put them!
 So if you could bear with me, I've got a couple more questions :-)

one of my boys was chased around the garden by the Ladies hell bent on pinching his sandwich - are they just being greedy or are they wanting more food? I had a look around there was pellets and seed  scattered around their favourite scratching places but they nearly came to blows over watermelon.
The other thing is that one of the Ladies was being quite unladylike to her housemate when they were shut up for the night, pecking at her neck and comb. I left them to it and checked a little later and they were perched and quite so I'm presuming pecking order - I hope its pecking order!

whoo think thats it for now - probably think of more! Thankyou for the ofer of the cockerel but sadly I will have to turn it down. one of my neighbours is possesive about parking to the extent that if you happen to park outside his house, then go out - he will literally move his car three feet to be outside his house - as soon as you've pulled away - he would be straight on the phone to the Council!

[8doubles]

As far as chooks are concerned stolen food be it from another hen or a human is the best food they can eat.
The pecking at night is just `ruling the roost' and nothing out of the ordinary. I had a CCTV rigged so i could watch them at night and have seen some vicious pecks to the head delivered with no actual damage.
CCTV was great on wet stormy nights to check on the girls without setting foot outdoors.

[hillfooter]

haha! oh yes mud! expert on all things muddy - boys! Lots and lots of boys! I doubt if a couple more chickens can out mud the tribe!

Little more concerned about the Ladies freeranging in the winter, have read a couple of posts about it but they seem to be relating to coops. I have got a couple of idiots guide to chicken keeping, but like an idiot I can't remember where I put them!
 So if you could bear with me, I've got a couple more questions :-)

one of my boys was chased around the garden by the Ladies hell bent on pinching his sandwich - are they just being greedy or are they wanting more food? No that's perfectly normal behaviour all small boys will greedily refuse to share their sandwiches with the chickens and the chickens much prefer to chase after the titbits than eat layers pelletsI had a look around there was pellets and seed  scattered around their favourite scratching places but they nearly came to blows over watermelon.They love anything with seeds in except no citrus fruit
The other thing is that one of the Ladies was being quite unladylike to her housemate when they were shut up for the night, pecking at her neck and comb. I left them to it and checked a little later and they were perched and quite so I'm presuming pecking order - I hope its pecking order!They do eat feathers so you should watch out for feather pecking becoming a habit but this was probably a bit of pecking order establishment

whoo think thats it for now - probably think of more! Thankyou for the ofer of the cockerel but sadly I will have to turn it down. one of my neighbours is possesive about parking to the extent that if you happen to park outside his house, then go out - he will literally move his car three feet to be outside his house - as soon as you've pulled away - he would be straight on the phone to the Council!

[pandoradeus]

note to self - sandwich for the boys - sandwich for the Ladies!
CCTV is a great idea - I love watching them - it'll be like big brother only far more interesting!
this site is great - thankyou everyone!