Never Thought I'd Get Mushy Over a Worm...

[Shortie]

Never to have a dull moment, we decided earlier in the year to up and move out of London into a Rural village. We moved in about 10 days ago and finally had the first whole weekend day at home (I work full time) to make a temporary run for the girlies - I was feeling soooo guilty that they were cooped up in their shop bought coop / run combo that we needed to get something up quickly and easily as there's tonnes to do in and around the house.

At our old house, they were based on concrete. Here they are on soil (at the moment at least, I'm considering putting down some paving slabs at some point)

Minutes after meandering into the new temporary run, one had a quick scratch on the soil and gobbled up a worm - something they wouldn't have been able to do in my old garden

Awww.... my ex-batts are another step back to natural chook-dom

[chris]

Mine are on concrete in their run (walk in one) - but have a garden to themselves, as lets face it, they really do sh*t things up

Goes through me the things they do. I've seen my old lot eat a field mouse - pretty grim, I'm sure it was still alive as it was going down (I gave her next lot of eggs away to the MIL!!!!)

Concrete is easy to clean though - plus it's predator proof

Sounds ideal anyway, I'm jealous!

[Bren In Pots]

It didn't take your chooks long to feel at home

[lottie dolly]

[QUOTE=chris;1048933 (I gave her next lot of eggs away to the MIL!!!!)


bowkkkkkkkkk,bok,bowk,bok,bok,soooooo,do you NOT feed yours sluggs like others do,

Just goes to show how strong nature is shortie,

[Shortie]

Eeeewww re the mouse, though if I truly knew what the girls munched on in the day I would probably be put off eggs for life haha, so I turn a blind eye (unless it will harm them that is)

Their shop bought run is covered over, but I was thinking of errecting a clear plastic corrugated rood and sides up on one end of the run (it's helpful that the previous home owner was a farmer in a previous life, and therefore a natural hoarder ) and putting slabs under that so that they have some 'non-mud in the rain' surface to walk on, but leave the bit in the middle as soil for scratching for worms in. The run is surrounded by concrete paths anyway (the exception being the bit at the end that I'm thinking of covering and slabbing anyway)

Yes Lottie Dolly, nature is clearly a far stronger force that I'd realised it would be!

[Mikey]

I spend the weekend before last modifying the chooks run, which they seem relatively pleased with, here are a couple of piccies, of the little dears in it. Spoilt rotten they are...

[chris]

Cor, that's changed a lot from your earlier photos!

[Feral007]

Hi Shortie, I'm getting some ex batts next month as well. They say that after the first week or so they start behaving like chooks, so I guess nature is strong.
Best of luck with the chook run, there's always so much to do in and around the house when you're rural.

[Mikey]

Cor, that's changed a lot from your earlier photos!

Yes I should update the coop page, I moved the coop back and for between two raised beds for a while, before I moved the greenhouse to give them some extra space. I finally got around to edging and filled their bigger run, but I still need to batten some of the higher walls to ensure they can't get out and to deter others from getting in.

I built them a simple day house with some left over timber a while back when I was contemplating getting some eggs for a broody, it gives them somewhere to go and hide when it rains, they spend quite a bit of time in there chilling. Funny things.

[Shortie]

Your chook area looks very neat Mikeywills.. I'd be a tad embarrassed to post mine up haha, It's literally their prefab coop and run next to the summer house and bucked up to the fence between us and next door, and some hip height green coated wire fencing roll staked in with whatever we have to hand, and attached with extra long cable ties It would appear that no expense was spared for the girlies just yet!

Feral007 - are these your first chooks or are you a seasoned hand with them? Yep - there does seem to be quite a lot to do in and around the house! And as if I didn't have enough to be getting on with I was accepted onto the lotties over the road AND went to the yearly AGM all in one day