My grounded chickens...

[BlueRoseMama]

So my chickens are no longer just free range. Last night, for the hour we were gone dropping off Cyan at a friends for a birthday party, they covered my covered patio with chicken crap. There is crap on my cooler, crap under our grill, crap all over our shoe carpet... yep... I am done. Now the chickens can only be out the hour before nighttime and only when we are home. I feel mean, but I just can't be cleaning up chicken poop off the covered poarch. I need a place to sit and drink my tea in the mornings where I don't have to worry about stepping in poop.

Anyhoo... that is all. Mean mean chicken mommy.

Val

[Christi]

LOL I don't blame you!

[SierraLily]

[simplespirit]

Hee hee... I have often thought what "free range" in the urban area could really mean... besides, you want that poo contained so it can be collected and put in your compost for the garden; right?

[mamabear]

Yeah, it's so funny, my friend nearby who has had chickens says she thinks free range is overrated.

I'm so torn - I think I told you this on the phone - I go between letting them free range and hosing down the walk (and we have lots of land for them to roam, so it's more like 3-6 poops on the walk in one day), and getting frustrated with the poops everywhere and locking them in their coop and run! I really feel for us the long-term solution is the electrified poultry net fencing and giving them a couple of acres, but in an urban area that is not possible, of course.

All that to say, I don't blame you either. You can't train chickens to poop only in certain places!

[MamaNurse]

I have the exact problem here, too! I can't go outside at this summer and sip my coffee. With a busy, into--everything--baby, the chicken poop doesn't work. They love to hang out by the doors and try to get into the house. I can't leave my doors open to the fresh breeze b/c Fionn heads outside and then promptly lands in the muck. He's even eaten it a couple times. barf.

I so love seeing my girls cruising around the yard and garden...I haven't gotten strict w/them....hmmm...what to do.

We do have a chicken tractor that I could put them in, but the 1 time we did it last year, they squaked the whole time they were in there.

[BlueRoseMama]

Our coop is very large. about 8X8 feet and 4 ft tall... they have plenty of room inside there. So I don't feel too terrible... but with Logan getting more and more mobile, it just isn't going to work for them to be hanging around the back door, pooping on the patio that never gets the rain to clean it off. I love them in the garden and the yard. I really don't have an issue with that at all... but the poarch? Yep... can't do it. Don was even shocked I was being so mean. But really, who wants to watch where they step in their house? That is how I feel about this space... more like an extention of the house.

Anyway... They are doing well, and I am lovin them up with tons of scraps from the garden and kitchen table... they are happy about that.

Val

[MamaNurse]

yeah. I'm just totally and completely sick of the poo right outside my door. Just tonight, dh called on his way home and told me to look out at the sun set. The boys ran outside to see it and....sure enough...Lazlo stepped in chicken crap.

I, too envision the back area as another room. It's got a "living ceiling" of grapes and it's just so peaceful. I miss it this year greatly...and you know the weather situation. We've got to enjoy it while we can cuz it'll be over soon.

I'm glad you posted about this b/c you've given me something to ponder. I never considered restricting them....and I just might do it.

Amy

[mamabear]

Amy, if you need more fodder, it's really a GI-infection risk for a kiddo to plop chicken poop in his mouth...I do actually know someone whose kid was hospitalized with a GI infection due to ingesting chicken poop.

My kids are older...but Jake has gone out barefoot and stepped in it...

Mine now hop the four-foot fence - they have taught each other how to hop up on the pallet we have for a gate and fly over. Time for electric fencing, I tell ya! But we're gonna suffer through the free-range summer, use the hose a lot, and try that next year.

The things I love about free ranging that I miss when they are confined: their eggs are MUCH better (dark orange yolk vs. yellow), they keep the weeds down in the garden and flower beds, and they eat flies and gnats and mosquitoes (I notice a big difference in bug population when they are confined). Plus they seem happier - they squawk all day when in the coop and run (which are both huge...I think it's really a matter of what they are used to).

[BlueRoseMama]

Mine have a big cage, but I want a bigger one. I am thinking a wooden one with chicken wire that is 7 feet with a real door and roof, about 7X10ft... the back side with chicken boxes, and a long roosting pole, etc... but that will have to wait until we have our own place. Putting it here would just be silly... lol...

They are ok. Violet (my most adventurous chicken by far) got out today and jumped on top of the 4 ft coop. Time to clip wings again!

(What about your Sarah... anymore escapee's since I clipped their wings last?)

Val

[MamaNurse]

Originally Posted by mamabear

Amy, if you need more fodder, it's really a GI-infection risk for a kiddo to plop chicken poop in his mouth...I do actually know someone whose kid was hospitalized with a GI infection due to ingesting chicken poop.

Hi Lauren,

Oh I absolutely know that...hence the reason for me not spending any time outside on my patio this summer. As a nurse and w/a dh who's a doctor, there's so much science around here it's frightening. I was worried about it and even spoke w/his pediatrician about it (who wasn't concerned). The poop was dried...not fresh, so that was probably in our favor.

Speaking of which...my healthy, younger sister was just diagnosed w/a very rare form of salmonella (she was tracked down by the health department at work...what a way to find out!). They have no idea how she got it. She's a very picky eater and there's no clear answer. So, yes...it's a real problem.

There are risks to having chickens...especially when you're a family like ours and (as I type this) my boys are playing w/our 3 wk. old baby chick that we incubated and raised from the egg. It's not really advised to have them in your living space, but our kids are basically attachment parents to their baby . She sleeps on her own at night, but spends the day w/the boys.

Amy

[BlueRoseMama]

My dd held the chickens when we got them every single day. Not a day went by that she wasn't out there... this is still true. She goes to feed them in the morning and spends 25 minutes sitting in the coop in her chair that she takes in there, holding chickens. I have just got a very very stritch hand washing regime after holding chickens and she hasn't forgotten once. It hasn't been an issue at all here. (We had them in our living space for 7 wks... that was plenty. lol!! Oi! The dust they like to kick up!!!)

[mamabear]

Originally Posted by MamaNurse

Hi Lauren,

Oh I absolutely know that...hence the reason for me not spending any time outside on my patio this summer. As a nurse and w/a dh who's a doctor, there's so much science around here it's frightening. I was worried about it and even spoke w/his pediatrician about it (who wasn't concerned). The poop was dried...not fresh, so that was probably in our favor.

Speaking of which...my healthy, younger sister was just diagnosed w/a very rare form of salmonella (she was tracked down by the health department at work...what a way to find out!). They have no idea how she got it. She's a very picky eater and there's no clear answer. So, yes...it's a real problem.

There are risks to having chickens...especially when you're a family like ours and (as I type this) my boys are playing w/our 3 wk. old baby chick that we incubated and raised from the egg. It's not really advised to have them in your living space, but our kids are basically attachment parents to their baby . She sleeps on her own at night, but spends the day w/the boys.

Amy

Amy, did she possibly eat Veggie Booty? Did you see the recall on that? It was all pulled due to contamination with salmonella.

Hope I didn't sound like a know it all! I honestly didn't know that healthy, free-range chicken poop was that much of an issue before we got the chickens and I started reading. With both of you in medicine, I don't envy you...with the health needs we have here I feel like I already know too much! It can be paralyzing.

And so cool that you incubated and hatched your own chick! It sounds like a great experience...we have not gone there...yet. LOL!

[MamaNurse]

Originally Posted by mamabear

Amy, did she possibly eat Veggie Booty? Did you see the recall on that? It was all pulled due to contamination with salmonella.

I doubt it...it's too "health foodie" for her and she's too picky. I'll ask her, though. Her strain is super rare...like only 5 or so other cases in the entire history in our state. Weird. Suddenly there are 5 or 6 cases this month in her rural county here in WA. So, they're considering it an "outbreak".

Thanks for letting me know about this, though. My kids LOVE Booty. LOL. I honestly hadn't heard about the contamination , so I'm really glad you mentioned it. I'll need to research cuz I have a "save it for a special occasion" bag in my pantry. Not the veggie booty...it's the cheesy kind.

Hope I didn't sound like a know it all! I honestly didn't know that healthy, free-range chicken poop was that much of an issue before we got the chickens and I started reading. With both of you in medicine, I don't envy you...with the health needs we have here I feel like I already know too much! It can be paralyzing.

No worries. You could never sound like a know it all! I love reading about you and your life and experiences and have for years here at amitys!!! I had a momentary panic when I read about your friends little one. That's exactly what I was worried about, too. Sigh....when it comes to medical stuff, I think that ignorance is bliss as the old saying goes.

Amy

[mamabear]

Here is the recall link: Veggie Booty from Robert's American Gourmet The cheesy kind is just fine.