Beating the bog

Andy Cawthray explains how semi-permeable membrane works its magic and keeps his poultry pens in good condition over the wetter months

- Andy Cawthray

Not everyone has the benefit of being able to free range their chickens, and for others free ranging is only an option when the owner can be around to ensure that the flock is safely locked up at dusk. I know at this time of year that I have to plan carefully if I’m going to range my own flock, for if I don’t have someone available to lock up my birds at dusk then I can pretty much guarantee the loss of one or more due to predation.

As a consequence, all this means that I, like others, need to keep their flocks in an enclosed run for a large part of the winter months — the months that tend to be the coldest and wettest, a combination that can quickly turn your chicken run into a quagmire.

In addition, if the breeds you keep give high egg output then the conversion to a bog can happen in a matter of days as when not given the option to forage these breeds will simply denude an area of any life (bar the nettles, of course).

Land like this, especially when soggy and covered in droppings, can quickly become ‘sick’, and by this I mean an unhealthy environment for your birds, so action needs to be taken before it impacts on its occupants.

One method is to use ground sanitisers, of which there are a number on the market. These are designed to kill off any pathogens on the land. However, if you do opt to use such solutions then make sure that you read the instructions carefully before purchasing as some will require the ground to be left untouched for a period of time, and if you are limited for space this may not be a possibility. And while they will help to improve the health of the land, they won’t beat the bog.