[cammi]

Ive been thinking of doing pea shingle/gravel as i live on a housing estate really need to keep a grip of witht the smell and also the ground is likely to get muddy.  But if i shingled it all they then would have any grass to eat.  (Due to cats and Kids i dont think my girls will be able to get out much maybe once a week) Is it possible to grow trays of grass for them ( was thinking those big trays you put under grow bags)  and keep swapping for a new tray?

Also keep reading about putting lime down, how often so you need to do this?  My thinking being maybe raking all the shingle into a pile and hosing it through and limeing the soil before raking the cleaned shingle back over.  Any good as an idea?? 

[jinty1911]

I stay in an estate too and as long as you keep on top of it, there is no problem.  Mine free range round the garden every day and I poo pick every day (it only takes a few minutes) with big dustpan and brush.  In spring I will have to curtail their roaming as granddaughters will be round more and I dont want them playing in chick poop    I can already hear the squauks of protest.   

[Abacus]

I would not put the weed fabric down it can be ripped, I put my pea shingle on polythene and put holes into it for the water to drain away

I let my girls out of their run for the first time since way before winter - they immediately found my newly covered gooseberry beds with stones/weed fabric and by the time I got back they had shifted all the stones from the corners, pulled the fabric back and were busy digging for insects...