Beware the frost

[VirginVegGrower]

It's a combination of neighbours and the Housing Association who are my landlord, really. I can see where they are coming from; I live, rather cuckoo-in-the-nest, in a cul-de-sac of bungalows intended to be housing for pensioners. The gardens are all tiny, mainly lawn maintained by a company we pay charges to, with an open plan style intended to leave open the wonderful views to the South.
I'd have to stick in catproof fencing, which would be just yards from their windows, and on one side, live a very garden-proud couple who maintain their patch and abhor mess. They worry about the songbirds crapping on their wheeliebin shelter...
My ability to leave materiels lying before/after visiting the lottie depends on their goodwill; we're on good terms, and in their shoes I would object if I asked permission !
But someday...

It's generally older people who like to see hens. My neighbours love mine and our gardens are pretty open towards the woodland and fields. I don't protect against cats but then my hens are in a big run until I am up there with them. Then they free range whilst I poddle in the garden.

[veggiechicken]

I can understand the difficulties as my Mum lives somewhere similar. Chooks and open plan gardens don't really go together. I'd love to have chooks again but I travel around too much and they'd have to come with me in the car! I have done it before now but it isn't fair on them so I've settled on buying eggs from local freerange chook keepers (both the chooks and their keepers wander around freely).
As you say... someday!!!

[SlugLobber]

Protect chooks against cats??? I'm fairly certain both mine would poo their furry pants if they came up against our chickens or geese! Who will protect the kitties (and their butts) against the chickens??

[snohare]

Protect chooks against cats???

This place is hoaching with cats. I see them slinking across my lawn, or in one case crouching watching the songbirds who feed on it, on a regular basis. Not very coincidentally, there is remarkably little birdlife here, despite all the trees.
There is a woman up the road, whom I have yet to meet, has a proper vegetable garden - raised beds, alkathene pipe mini-polytunnels, cane wigwams - and chooks. But she is in the posh part (privately owned). Her garden would have room enough for my house and my neighbour's, and probably both our gardens too. I envy her that freedom...

[veggiechicken]

Introduce yourself to the lady up the road and offer to look after her chooks when she's away on her holidays. Lots of chook keeper would really appreciate that offer. I use to offer my neighbours the opportunity to look after mine in exchange for free eggs. They used to fight over whose turn it was!

[Wren]

I got my butt off freecycle

Fortunatly it is not in sections and just one moulded butt. It froze up like an Ice pop last year because it was full but no splitting or coming apart . I have taken off the guttering feed now so that the rain does not feed into it. It was fine after last years big freeze up, so I will leave it again.

Wren