Keeping Hens Feet Clean

You could try putting a Hemcore type product in their run, it worked for our Sabelpoots the first winter we had them.  Now they free range they're fine.

What breed do you keep Nobby?

I've used chopped straw as well and this really helps to keep the mud down. We have a run covered with a tarp but still gets wet. The straw keeps their feet dry and also adds some amusement to their day as they love scratching and flicking it around. Hours of fun for a couple of quid!

Sometimes vaseline is used to stop mud and snow packing up inside horses hooves, it may work for hens feet

Shame about the miserable neighbour, all our neighbours love our girls and come into visit them. They also buy our surplus eggs. So the hens are self sufficient. We often have a waiting list for the eggs.

We put down loads of straw for our girls and during the winter put paving slabs down where the run is open to the weather. There is a tarp covered area to the back for them to scratch in the dirt under the straw. We have never had a problem with dirt balls on toes until this year when Granny had an enormous one. We soaked it off her but she got another one pretty quickly. I think it might be that she has got longer toe nails than the other girls. Might clip her toenails if she keeps getting them. She looked so uncomfortable walking around with it on her foot!

How the hell would she know what you have in your recycle bin? Does she go and inspect all the bins?

Seems we are dead lucky with our neighbours. We are in a little side road near Epping Forest. We have a residents asociation (thought that was really posh when we moved here 7 years ago) and there is a real community feeling. We all look out for each other, especially the older residents.

Don't think we are the only people in the area with chickens either. Never have to worry about going on holiday, and who will look after the girls if my son goes away at the same time. Free eggs are a great draw!

Our allotment is only 5 minutes walk from us as well.

Have you tried tongue in cheek, overpoliteness to your narky neighbour. I have a friend who is brilliant at that. She always says she can be so much ruder by being overpolite with a beaming smile on her face.

Feel for you. NArky neighbours are a pain!

A word of warning about hempcore after using it for a couple of years happily the last batch was a problem.
Others had the same problem
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=88315.0