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snowchick

Straw, Hay, Wood chippings, Bark, Hemcore, Auboise etc

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HELP!!!!

 

Right, we put bark chippings down in the run, which we realise now was wrong.

 

Can someone advise what we should have in the following ideally:

 

- in the run

- in the nesting boxes

- in the coop/eglu

 

I went to my local horsey supply place and asked for hemcore, they gave me something "similiar" called safe bed I think - it's a natural animal bedding he said similar to hemcore???????

 

Now I have a large bale of this, a bale of wood shavings and dont know if I should be putting this everywhere as, what if it gets wet?

 

Sorry for the confusion!!!!

 

Thanks x

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I'm not familiar with the "Easy" stuff you've got but I'm sure someone on this forum will have used it.

 

I use Auboise everywhere.

- in the run (straight on the ground/grass) about 1 inch deep. I put a shower curtain over the run roof so it doesn't get wet.

- in the nest box

- in the eglu poop tray (just a little sprinkled over a few sheets of newspaper to line it)

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You can put your Easibed/Aubiose/Hemcore in the nesting box, the run (you will need a plastic cover over the run) and in the poo trray (although I don't bother with the latter).

 

I wouldn't use the shavings, either as they get very manky and soggy and can also harbour nasties.

 

Just use one item for everything and save on storage and costs. :lol:

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I have tons of the stuff in my garden for mulching and it makes the best compost imaginable. The run is made up of a base of old mulch wood chippings and the top layer was newer stuff - this is very mixed up now and they have eaten every bug in it I think and really enjoyed it. My hubby works with wood and we have a commercial woodchipper so I dont have to buy it - it seems fine so far and the poo just disappears in it :lol:

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we started with bark chips because that is what omlet suggested at the time we have continued with them so far changing the tip layer from time to time and forking them over to keep them aerated. our chooks are at the top of a slight slope and the chips are pretty deep with soil underneath so it is resonably well drained.

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we started with bark chips because that is what omlet suggested at the time we have continued with them so far changing the tip layer from time to time and forking them over to keep them aerated. our chooks are at the top of a slight slope and the chips are pretty deep with soil underneath so it is resonably well drained.

 

 

The chickens seem to be doing a good job forking it for me but leave big holes for raking over! - They are so so funny

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we started with bark chips because that is what omlet suggested at the time we have continued with them so far changing the tip layer from time to time and forking them over to keep them aerated. our chooks are at the top of a slight slope and the chips are pretty deep with soil underneath so it is resonably well drained.

 

Same here - I rake inside the run from time to time, then clear the whole lot out when it starts looking tired and use it as a mulch under the fruit bushes on the allotment. If/when I get a bigger, walk-in run I'll switch to aubiose/hemcore, but we don't have anywhere to store bales of bedding at the moment - our garage was converted to a dining room by the house's previous owners, and there's no room for a shed and chickens :(

 

Maybe it helps that my run is completely covered (for shade as much as anything, as it was very hot when we first got chickens), so the bark inside doesn't get sodden? I've never seen any mould when cleaning it out...

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Yes.....I'm pretty sure they don't deliver though. I always collect.

 

I think they in turn get their supplies from somewhere in Penistone.......give them a ring and I'm sure they will help you , even if it is only to put you in tough with their supplier.

 

Horse & Rider

 

187, Northfield Rd, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 1QQ

Tel: 0114 268 2523

 

Good luck.

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We have arranged to get 3, a cuckoo we have named pepper, a buff called biscuit or cookie and a black one :?: We are going to have to get them tomorrow as he goes on holiday for 3 weeks and after talking to him he said they will be fine in the large rabbit hutch with the run underneath till the eglu comes, don't worry it been thoroughly disinfected. DD wanted a blue or lilac but he hadn't one. I wanted a partridge a lemon or a mille fleur (sp). Actually i wanted all of them :D , how many pekins can you fit in a mk11 eglu with the standard run and daily freeranging :D:D

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:lol::lol: Pekins have that effect I'm afraid - they're personality is addictive, and it's easy to forgive them for being dreadful layers who always go broody.

 

If you have a mark 2 eglu with the regular run and plenty of freeranging, then you could probably have 4 or 5.

 

I have an extension on the run, and have 10 bantams of various types in mine. They freerange all day and still leave plenty of space in the eglu when they go to sleep. If they have to be left in the run all day, which is very rare, then they are fine and play nicely together with a couple of cabbages thrown in to keep them amused.

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