My eco solution to rat problems

[SeramaSilly]

I'm thinking of changing to wood chips in my covered run as the aubiose gets soaked with rain which seeps up from underneath.  Just wondering how often I will need to change the wood chips?   At the moment I change the aubiose once a month and put down poultry disinfectant powder once a week.

[Cat tails]

I have normal chips, not the hardwood kind. My run doesn’t stay 100 percent dry, so in wet weather they do ger soggy. I change them about once a month and honestly don’t do anything in between. But my run is on paving. 

 

[SeramaSilly]

On 11/22/2022 at 8:46 PM, Cat tails said:

I have normal chips, not the hardwood kind. My run doesn’t stay 100 percent dry, so in wet weather they do ger soggy. I change them about once a month and honestly don’t do anything in between. But my run is on paving. 

 

Thanks for answering Cat tails!   Yes, mine's on paving too.  Do you find it easy enough to poop pick?

[Cat tails]

On 11/22/2022 at 10:00 PM, SeramaSilly said:

Thanks for answering Cat tails!   Yes, mine's on paving too.  Do you find it easy enough to poop pick?

Might be easy… I really don’t know… I’m honestly a very lazy chicken keeper… 🫣

[SeramaSilly]

🤣

[mullethunter]

I have hardwood chip on slabs and my run is nowhere near completely dry in weather like we’re having at the moment. In the summer when it’s reasonably dry and the gang are out and about a lot I poo pick maybe once a week. At the moment I’m trying to do it every day but not quite managing it. 

I don’t replace the woodchip more than once a year.

[Luvachicken]

We had hard wood woodchips in my slabbed run - we didn't change them for 6 years.

They are pretty sheltered from the rain and to be honest, the poo just seems to disappear.

We did change them finally last year but I think they could have lasted even longer - I just fancied giving them some clean ones.

[SeramaSilly]

That sounds great@mullethunterand @Luvachicken.  I was a bit worried about the initial expense but if they last that long they will be good value!  I've been watching the Flytes of fancy video on youtube and they have their runs on bare earth and hose them down every so often.  I'm having my garden redesigned in the new year and I think I might go down that route.  

[Billy Jackson]

I use the woodchip from Flytes of Fancy and they are excellent. I've put a 4 inch layer on top of paving slabs and they stay dry. I normally clean the coop weekly which includes putting sanitizing powder on the woodchip to breakdown poop and help with smell. I change them once a year. Would recommend.

[Luvachicken]

@SeramaSilly my woodchips came from Flyte so Fancy both times.

We drove and had a nice day out at the same time.

[mullethunter]

I bought bags from Flyte So Fancy the first couple of times, but the last two times I’ve bought a dumpy bag from Hallstone Direct and used any left over for the paths in my veggie garden