[rump]

hello everybody,
i'm totally new to keeping poultry so i'm looking for some advice.
i would like to keep poultry on my back garden and let them roam on the grass in the day time, what i would like to know if there are any breeds that would not scratch my garden to bits.i have heard that bantams would be best? any advice would be much appreciated.
thanks ian

[jinty1911]

Hi Rump
I dont think there is such a thing a non scratchers.  Banties might make less mess than bigger birds but still spend most of the day stratching about. What about Ducks   

[Tigerwren]

Hi Rump,
I have heard that sablepoots with feathery feet do little damage to gardens and plants, but all hens scratch about a bit.

[joyfull]

yes feathered footed birds are the best to choose - sablepoots, barbu d'uccles and cochins 

[Casey76]

Joy any chance of a middle inbetween your tiny... tiny... HUGE choice 

Faverolles also have feathered feet - are a good dual purpose bird, and don't grow to the immense sizes Cochins can - but still produce very nice sized very pale/tinted eggs.

As with all feather footed chickens, they don't like muddy ground, so they should either be in a covered run, or could be confinded to a covered run during rainy/wet/winter weather.  you also have to be careful fo mud and snow balls gathering on the underside of the foot.

Personally I love the floofy footed breeds, and currently have a pair of sabelpoots, and will have brahmas, faverolles and Marans later on in the year

[joyfull]

some faverolles can be huge especially the large fowl cockerels  .
however I do have to agree with Casey you do have to watch them for mud balls under their feathers - this morning I had to soak one of my poots feet as she was hobling along with mud balls under her feathers.

[rachelr]

A neighbour has some golden brahmas and their garden is much better than mine.

[Chookiechook]

I recon Pekin Bantams would be a good choice.... pretty.... lots of colours to choose from and fairly easy on the garden so my customers tell me

[joyfull]

I would opt for the sablepoot everyday - cute, small and the most friendly bird I have ever had. Plus the fact they are on the rare breeds register so they need all the help they can get 

[Casey76]

And poots come in so many pretty colours

[compostqueen]

Oh I fancy some of those myself. Me who said I was not getting any more 

off to Google them 

[compostqueen]

I like the fact that chooks scratch out all the moss from the lawn for free    They eat the weeds too and manure it so scratching is not all bad news