[loosey]

My first bit of advice if you would be so kind!!

I have a fair amount of experience with horses, pigs and sheep but not so much with poultry! Logic tells me that gound should be rotated and rested, but is this necessary with chickens and other poultry?

Thoughts appreciated!

[doganjo]

I think if you have the land available then yes, this is the best option, but many of us don't have that option, so the alternative is to make sure they are very well wormed and sheds  medicated for wee beasties, have a suitable ground base, and to ensure there isn't overcrowding.  I only have one area for my chicken run, but they are given free run of my front garden for a few hours each day - a half acre of grass, shrubs and trees.

Welcome to the forum from Clackmannan

[loosey]

Thank you! I'm planning on sectioning 1/4 acre per hen house. We're hoping for about 12 ex batts in one pen for laying and probably the same amount of meat birds and ducks in the others ... maybe I should split this in half and rotate?

I'm a bit owrried about one of our dogs if I was to let them roma much further!!

[doganjo]

My dogs are HPR gundogs and wil retrieve pricked game so I keep them separate as the hens can't fly - the dogs treat them as injured and they have all been retrieved to hand - unhurt but it can be wearing!

[loosey]

Haha! My labrador deemed it his very important responsibility to retrieve all our kittens from the last litter - he bought them to us, then the cat came and took them back ... they were exhausted after 3 weeks!!!