chickens free range environment... chicken experts advice please!

[LilyMunster]

hi there

so my chickens are now free ranging... nominally within the confines of a set (large) area which is fenced.
within this are are two things id like some expert feedback on the suitability of;

1 - woodpile. is a large and ramshackle woodpile left from felling a big conifer tree that was in the way of the expension. its been there over 2 years now (the pile) and has established colony of wildlife in it.
i moved a big log (was using some to make climby things for the chickens) and uncovered a toad yesterday... many many insects of course... and (area of most concern) a rat carcass or two.
our pest control guys have put bags of rat poison/bait in the pile which i assume has killed the ones i found. the bags are out of chickens reach.
how concerned should i be that there may be more rats in there? they are BAD for chickens , no?
i can 'tidy' the smaller-logs part of the pile and restack it... do you think thats a Good Idea? or total waste of time?

also: next to the woodpile is a great big pile of woodchips derived from the reducing of the willow tree which happened a month or two ago. i think that
A-rats may make homes in there too possibly
B-that spores from the rotting/moulding process may or may not be aBadThing for chooks. they dig about in it.
should i barrow the lot over to the compost area (we have several large composters i could fill).

Did you find my boy's coat?

i will pass on your long-distance adoration to the hens. they will be pleased.

no i havnt looked - sowwy!

Disgraceful!

Tis not desperately needed, more a case of whether I should search here for it or not The nit comb is awol too, but I don't think that will be in your car.

Please can you live closer. I want to see you more often.

yeah, nice house by the sea would be v much appreciated atm.

sorry, you are correct about the nit comb ... but still havnt gotten dressed/out to car to check for coat. various episodes like A tantrumming and G liquid pooing have been somwhat distracting me [bluergh]

just saw this thread title in active convos and thought 'ooh! answers to my pressing question about the chickens...'

derrrrrr

I haven't even read your question Will read and answer

(liquid poo not nice. mine is currently asleep. in pants. on my sofa. )

Rats and chickens are fine together. The rats will take advantage of their stupidity (except for Flamey who is clearly the Ginger of the brood) and sell them things they don't really need at extortionate prices.

Tidying is never necessary.

Yes, barrow the wood chippings to the compost area. When I come next I will bring my big carrot buckets and fill with a mix of your soil and compost - just to help you out you understand

Howzat?

pmsl

am loving the scientific nature of your source of chicken info. a cartoon.

nutter!

G is standing next to me in peed-in trousers bellowing

more jam!

i am saying 'tousers off! then more jam.'

he is then jumpinmg up and down , geting higher pitched and repeating 'more jam! more jam!' over and over, between scowling at me and yelling 'NO!' to the trousers thing.

blardy kids.

They research these things well! They must do, or they'd have wrists slapped by ofcom or summat

These 2 yr olds, they just don't get it do they???

so i should write to offcom to find out if my woodchip and log piles are ok for the chickens to live alongside?

Yes. They will take you very seriously.

I'd be most concerned that rats would pull the bags of poison into a more chicken-accessible area. We occasionally find torn-open bags of poison on our land and yet we never use the stuff. It does rile me somewhat!

Rats will also take your eggs and eat the hens food - which if in a hopper will probably get rats' piss on it which isn't terribly healthy either. Rats have also been known to gnaw the feet/undercarriage of nesting hens.

If it were my garden, I'd tidy the whole lot up, compost the chippings, stack the wood elsewhere, reduce any feeding opportunities for the rats and put some traps down.

all 3 have just gotten packed lunches together in order to venture out to garden together for a picnic.
after driving me half nuts with requests for cdressing help and attempts to empty entire contents of kitchen cupboards into plastic bags, they have just all trouped back in, literally seconds after leaving... and said its raining.

ppooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

And yew is certainly poisonous to horses so if there is any of that amongst the log pile, take it away and burn it.

And sorry to be so serious on your jam/wee/ofcom thread.

THANK YOU NORKS

you see flame, thats the sort of sensible answer i was after you duffer!

righto. will continue my hard labour and do as you say. [oh god, i am a follower not a leader, arent i? im devastated]

Ooh thank you for giving sensible answers

So chicken run was wrong

next thing will be finding out that race cars don't have their own lives and desires...

bah for rain!!!!

and how would i know a yew?

could any of this be the reason for sick birds sore foot?

oh, have googled. no its not one of those.

I doubt if it's the cause of hen foot problem - is she any better btw?

I would leave them a log or two for sitting on and you can roll them over from time to time so the hens can hoover up the woodlice!

she is not. and shortly i will have to go out and inject antibots into her mouthg

oh, i am leaving enough big logs to make an multiple climbing frames/ramps/shelters/perches for the chickens. i am inner city street urchin, we like adventure playgounds.

and phew about the foot

Hurrah! Son awake, sofa is dry