Selfsufficientish.com

I clean out the poo from the chicken shed every morning and also from their outside run. I might be mad but I want it for the compost; also it's not nice to tread in it! Generally the poo doesn't smell either unless it is a diarrhoea one!

I don't think that my chook house smells at all but a friend's kids came round and said "POOOOOOOO it smells in here!". So maybe I am immune to the smell now!

thats what I was thinking about as some people thought my rats smelt but I didn't think so. I'm sure they did smell but not horribily or any more than most other pets

Well, other people's dogs always smell, don't they, but never your own! I don't reckon chickens smell any worse than that.

i have 5 rescued ex-battery hens, i live in an urban area with luckily large gardens so we have the pen at the bottom on the lawn. they don't make much noise , only when startled or laying. always 1 egg aday somwtimes one from each girl! so cheeky you can't sit down without one jumping on your lap! wouldn't be with out them now and as fo rthe eggs can't buy anything like them!

Well done! There is nothing quite like a freshlaid egg!

You can say that again guys!

My naughty hen, Lady (the one who goes broody) has discovered that she can jump over the chicken wire and the gate - cos they are only a metre high.

Well, OK, I knew from the start that this was a possibility but just kept my fingers crossed. It's quite fun seeing her wandering around, but I don't want the rest of my garden scratched up or the poo all over the place. The other two are getting a bit agitated as well as she's getting the decent grass.

We did clip one wing but it didn't make any difference! Nothing for it now but to put up taller fencing wire. If we'd done that in the beginning it would have saved some dosh.

Just rabbiting on but it might be useful for others to know.