[compostqueen]

Am thinking of dipping my toe in the hen keeping world.  Ooer bit nervous actually

I have a piece of ground by a high wall, trellis on another side, brick air raid shelter on the other side. It's about 20 foot long by about 10 foot wide and it's been covered over with black sheet mulch for about 6 years cos we've never got round to doing anything with it cos of refurbing the house.  We put manure under the black mulch a couple of years ago and it's all now been taken down and it's now flat and level. Would this be a good scratting area for chooks?  I have a huge lawn they can be let out on but my question is should I grow grass on the bare patch too or leave it as it is for them?  

Thanks  

[babe]

my chooks have their own garden, and i use bark, there are pictures here

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=14428

i put new down every spring, and its quite thick. but they love it, they kick it about make big dips in it to lay in the sun in. and its great for foraging as bugs hide in it.

im happy with the bark, but others will be along with what they have

[ck2day]

It sounds a good place to start. As you said you have a huge garden to let them out into.  Would suggest you put something down though, bark or sawdust otherwise it will become a mud bath very quickly after any rain.  

If you reseeded it you would need to let the grass get a hold first otherwise the chucklets would eat all of your grass seed as soon as it was put down.  I speak from experience as they make a huge dent in my top field after it was reseeded in a very short space of time!

Claire

[Vember]

I tend to leave an area bare so that they can scratch around, once or twice a week I go and dig it over so they get fresh worms etc...  They love it They also have a grassed area so u could say they have the best of both worlds

[compostqueen]

thanks for that info.  There's a big shrub in there and a climbing rose and clematis, honeysuckle and a jasmine, oh and holly tree with a goodly trunk on it but the leaves are right up high so they wouldn't get prickled. all the shrubs etc are round the edges and the middle is completely clear. Would they be ok with those plants in their run?  Hate to poison em  :shock:

[Vember]

I've got a holly in with mine so far "touch wood" no probs. Not sure about the others though Sorry

[Vember]

Just found this link off another forum:
http://kelseyinfo.co.uk/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1201700700

It's quite intresting

[compostqueen]

thanks for that. Sounds like I need to keep the ivy to the top of the wall then it should be out of their reach

Listen at me! Ant got none yet  :roll: