Parking the Palace

[LeatherneckPA]

I have come to the sad conclusion that I must park "Cluckingham Palace" in an out of the way corner of the backyard. It's just too darned heavy to move frequently enough. Between wheels and hand trucks I have spent well over $100 this summer just trying to come up with an effective method for my wife and I to move it around. We only have approx 1/16th of an acre to roll it around, and have to move it at least every other day to keep the birds in fresh grass.

I am not happy about this decision. Perhaps you can help make it less painful. The birds absolutely love fresh grass. And I know that once I park the Palace they will completely denude the area within a week. So I am open to suggestions on how to give them fresh munchies.

Also, since they are now going to be in one place, what should I use as bedding in the run area? And how deep should I let it get? Something I could use as compost for the garden would be nice, instead of sawdust. But I thought I read somewhere that straw clumps and mats too easily.

[MooseToo]

some park it where they want a new garden in a year or two -

[bookwormom]

MooseToo, you took the words right out of my mouth. don't worry what you use, straw works fine. You know how chickens scratch, and they will work it into little pieces. throw grass and the like over the fence. In one place we lived we had a chicken lot on a hillside. I put in everything at the top, including kitchen scraps. the chickens worked it good and by the time they had it scratched to the bottom I shoveled out fine compost. the more stuff you dump in the merrier. the chickens get a lot more bugs that way, too, as pillbugs and the like love it in that kind of environment. Your garden will be great.

[Terri]

When you mow, give them grass clippings. Mine love this!

[dkemple1]

how about mounting a hitch on it and using one of those dollies like you would move a boat. They are easy to move by hand with one of those. It is used like a fulcrum. Very little effort to move. do a internet search for the dolly I am talking about. I would say they are called a boat dolly.

[LeatherneckPA]

A - the shed section is bloody heavy!! 7 sheets of 1/2" plywood, a dozen 2x4's, and a roll of roofing. And that's just the shed section.

B - It's already parked and I've already taken the wheels off.