The Poultry Keeper

Knobby · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:44 am Post subject: Sick Ground

Strange Question........My chooks are kept in runs, fairly large....but as always there isnt a lot of grass left......Theyve been in there for 2 years now, and with all that chook poo going into the ground, is it doing any harm to them......could they do with having a new run for a year ? Let the old run rest for a bit ???

George · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 5661 Location: London

Standard advice is 4 weeks on 4 weeks off,
It limits the build of of worms etc, and gives the ground chance to recover a little

Depends if you have the space to give them a new run elsewhere though

CP · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:47 am Post subject:

There was a thread on PP about liming the ground to refresh it, but you have to keep them off for about 3 months afterwards. Not an option for us.

I'll have to do a search, because I think someone posted an alternative to lime, but I can't think what at the moment. Confused

Knobby · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:52 am Post subject:

George · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 5661 Location: London

By the way, the 4 week cycle is more about protecting the birds from disease than protecting the ground

CP · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:10 am Post subject:

Found it.

Knobby · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:12 am Post subject:

Ok, I'll give it a go at the weekend !

Thanks ! Very Happy

worldor · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 110 Location: West Midlands

Where would we buy ground limestone from? A garden centre, a builders yard or what?

Knobby · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 8:57 pm Post subject:

Dunno...........yet.......I'll let u know if i find some.....maybe someone can tell us before i find it !!

Lisa · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:17 pm Post subject:

When I got my chooks from Wernlas they advised me to alternate the run every 3 months.

And I think I remember others saying they disinfect their ground - can't remember who.

Its certainly worth doing something if you can, because otherwise the level of disease and worms can build up in the soil in a comparatively small area and continuously reinfect the chooks...