ChrisP Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Right, I have one , 2 , 1 , and 1 . The GNR and are 3 later this month, and the is 2 this christmas. They free range all day every day (the rural foxes do not bother us, touch wood!) and so are kept in the from about 9:30pm to 7:30am. At the moment, i clean the egg port every other day, the droppings tray every 4 days, and a thorough clean with the hosepipe every 10 days. So, as the subject says, how often do you clean yours out? Am i doing ok? Having only recently learned that flystrike can affect my girls as well as my rabbits, i wasnt to make sure this does not and never will happen to them, because having seen a friends rabbit suffer with it, I do not want my girls to suffer Thanks in advance for your answers Christine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Mini clean, ie nesting box and poo tray twice a week (12 chickens). Larger clean every weekend. ie wipe everything down and wash drinkers and feeders. Mega clean of run every month to 6 weeks, depending on weather and how often they have been able to play out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 We've got 5 in a cube with a run extension When ours free range the poo tray and nesting box gets cleaned out twice a week. The weekend clean is a full hosedown, roosting bar change and raking over the run with a top up of hemcore if required. The hemcore gets changed monthly If they are stuck in the the run a lot for any reason, we change the hemcore more frequently, weekly or fortnightly as it gets very grubby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I haqve a traditional style coop and run, poop scoop every day, a full clean out once a week ( or there abouts work and weather permitting) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surferdog Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I have three in a and a walk in run. Poo pick in the run most days (if I'm home in time), poo tray and nest box every couple of days. Eglu dismantled and power washed once a fortnight and all the hemcore replaced once a month. The run is lovely when it's all clean and sparkly - would love to have the time, energy and hemcore funds to do it more often! (I really need to get out more ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 (edited) I have 5 big hens. Mini clean (knock out poo trays) twice a week. Midi clean (as above,change aubiose in nest box & replace roosting bars) once a week Mega clean (as above,but strip down cube & clean really well) once every month or so. Monster clean (replacing all the Aubiose in the hen pen,which they are in 24/7) Once every 2 months. I had the same routine when I had 8 in the cube too. Its much easier to have set 'clean the hens'days,I find (mine are Wednesday & Sunday ) Edited June 10, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bondinho Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I can't understand why people have to change their hemcore so often, mine is 7 or 8 weeks in and still looks absolutely fine. They get a fair amount of free ranging but even after a few days in the run there isn't much poo to be seen. In the winter it is a different story as the hemcore gets wet and soggy and needs clearing out much more often. They are only small chooks, 2 bantams, an appenzeller (which is basically a bantam) and 2 smallish Silkies, so maybe 'cos there poo is smaller it just vanishes quicker? Handy for me though But I clean the poo trays, replace roosting bars and nest box at least once a week (again 5 small birds don't seem to make that much of a mess). And every couple of weeks hose it all down and wipe/leave to dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 We change our hemcore a lot but I think it might just be that I'm pregnant with a heightend sense of smell so it bothers me much faster than it might otherwise. I often think the cube smells when my OH and friends say it doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph101 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Mine are on grass, and they free range all day. The eglu gets moved every 7 days. I empty the droppings tray and refresh the nest box every day, and scrub the eglu out with hot water and Ecover wash up liquid once, and sometimes twice a week. I dry it all off and give the interior a good squirt with pet disinfectant and a bit of tea tree and citronella, and a few good puffs of diatom, bokashi bran, red mite powder and stalosan inside. It all stops the poo 'glueing' itself to the bars too, making cleaning easier. I'm being especially vigilant about poo collecting at the moment too because of all the flies around! Got four of those fli-traps hanging all over the place, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I'm lazy with my 2, they have a poo pick twice a week, a poo tray change and rooster bar change once a week with new aubiose, but only a full Eglu clean out with Ecover red mite and power spray once a fortnight. All seems ok hygiene wise? If only I could stop the squawks and the early eggs on the patio! Edit - new aubiose once a week in nestbox too oh and I poo pick the nestbox everyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hennymom Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 we have a 30 feet by 30 feet run and a hen house that could house 24 hens.. we clean the poopdeck every single morning.... we dig the run each day too, they play in soil all day with branches etc, we clean out shavings once a week they don;t go inside coop really only to lay so it never gets dirty... and major clean with hose etc once a month, I think cos we do everything else each day it does not need so much doing everywhere else so often, my girls will not under any circumstances poop in the nesting boxes they would rather wait till they get outside, the two large perches are hosed once a week and so is the roosting bar.... we add diatom etc once a week or so... the only problem we encounter is digging the run....they all sit on the spade while we try and dig...making it impossible ...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 poo tray clean = twice a week dismantle of cube and power washed = every saturday poo pick of run = every day full run clean out = every 3-6 weeks depending on weather (3 weeks if we have had a lot of rain or 6 weeks if it has been dry) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Daily - poo pick of nest boxes/henhouse (2 mins). Weekly - thorough poo pick in henhouse, chuck bedding mixed with diatom at inside walls of henhouse to ensure no mites/lice and sift sand in run to remove poo (20/30 mins). Monthly - turf all bedding out of henhouse, take roof off and spray with poultry shield, all new bedding mixed with diatom (30 mins). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Flick poo out of nestbox if required, daily As and when flicking with plastic scoop of poop on patio or lawn into flowerbeds Clean eglu, poopdeck, bars, re-fill nestbox once a week Full run rakeout & re-hemcore every 6 weeks or so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickybaby Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Every Saturday: empty poo tray. Put glug through dishwasher. Every Tuesday: empty poo tray. Daily: clean out nest box. Every 4 weeks: completely dismantle Eglu and disinfect using virkon. Put grub through dishwasher. Mine free range all day every day so no need for me to poo pick in their run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owenofj Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Not quite had them a week, but have cleaned out the poo tray every day so far and poo picked most morning by dragging it round 90 degrees (or so) and elegantly standing astride the destroyed grass and picking as much poo up as I can find while hoping the neighbors aren't watching. Give the glug a rinse every morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I think I must be a slummy mummy... I do a complete clean once a week - remove all eglu contents, pressure wash, allow to dry, ideally the sun will be shining, and reassemble (or every 10 days if weather is too vile for everything to dry out). in between times, erm, well, I dont actually do anything. they seem to be thriving, and as they freerange from dawn til dusk I dont think it makes much difference. however, that said, I am a slut indoors too I'm afraid! a peck of dirt and all that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 That sounds like my kind of life beach chick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 my girls will not under any circumstances poop in the nesting boxes they would rather wait till they get outside Hennymom, I thought that there was something weird going on with mine as I never found a single poo in the nesting box. I guess that they are just very discriminating as I can certainly recognise poos in the poop trays! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hennymom Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 my girls will not under any circumstances poop in the nesting boxes they would rather wait till they get outside Hennymom, I thought that there was something weird going on with mine as I never found a single poo in the nesting box. I guess that they are just very discriminating as I can certainly recognise poos in the poop trays! lol.... no I can spot a pyramid of poop from a mile but never once found a single poop in there... clean lttle ladies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 One of my hens (Scully) roosts (and poos) in the nestbox, so I poo-pick it first thing every day and poo-pick the walk-in run every day too. I clean out the poo tray every 2-3 days and give the eglus a through clean out once a week. Every 6-8 weeks I rake out the Aubiose from the run, fork over the soil, add garden lime and spread a new bale of Aubiose. That's the only thing that takes a while really. The other jobs are quick and easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisP Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 Wow, thanks for so many quick replies Sorry for this next question, I know I am going to sound stupid, but if you don't ask you don't know eh?! What exactly is hemcore and aubiose ??? I've heard a lot about these two products and want to make sure if my girls need it, then I know what it is, and asking here seems like the best place to ask! THanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Aubiose and Hemcore are chopped, dust-extracted hemp horse bedding. I use it in the henhouse and nestboxes. You can use it in your run to give the chooks something to scratch around in and it also absorbs the poo. Good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoice Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Sorry to hijack your thread ChrisP but what does the lime do in the run? Is it safe to put the birds back onto or do you wait a while? Where can i get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisP Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 Thank you superjules, think I'll be getting myself some of that then Speaking of cleaning them, I cleaned them just now, just to have one of the take a toad or frog in there and enjoy a nice lunch Sorry guys, no its lunchtime and all, but thought I'd share how unhelpful they are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
