Emma&lewie Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Hello all. hope you are all well. the long awaited day is nearly here!! !!! my coop is due to arrive tommorow and we hope to get our girls at the weekend. i know most of you dont have this problem you lucky things but is it best to treat the wood before I get the chooks and how long should we leave it before getting them- we have got some quick dry stuff thats safe for (animals!!) have heard that if I varnish/ treat inside helps a little to prevent red mites?!! dont want to have high chooks! or make them ill! many thanks Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 If your wooden coup is brand new then you shouldn't have to treat it just yet. I clean my wooden ark out everyday (takes 2 minutes) and once a month I thoroughly spray the inside with *poultry shield* getting into every nook and cranny. Again it only takes minutes. I put *red mite power* on the ends of the perching bar and where the bar sits(remove it first to get right into the ends). Some people use *diatom* which works just as well. I mix red mite powder in with the nesting box bedding. In the autumn I will treat the outside of the ark to keep the wood in good order and to make sure it stays waterproof. I hope all goes well with your new chickens. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Good luck for tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma&lewie Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 Brilliant thanks, saves me painting!!! we cant wait to get our girls.... really hope it does come tommorow as the company have had a few problems with their supliers- it was shiped today so fingers crossed! (have been waiting for nearly a month now- was ment to be three days!! ) Gamebird thank you for the advice, would you recomend I use the poultry shiled as soon as I get them? the ark is brand new! sorry if I sound daft- new to all of this!! thanks. EmmaX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma&lewie Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 oh sorry thought of one more thing- is there a reason that I should rotated my chooks home around the garden? as have limmeted space- hoping to let them free range as much as possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 If you want the run to be on grass you'll have to move it regularly and often (as the grass will turn to mud otherwise!). If they're going to be on a permanent base, then personally I would move it about once every year-18 months to make sure there's no parasite build up in the soil, but lots of people don't do this at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 If your wooden hen house/ark is new then it will not have any red mite. It certainly won't do any harm to spray it with poultry shield but if you haven't got any yet I wouldn't panic. Do it in a month's time when you have a good clean out. As chickanne says, you have to move it regularly so they don't completely destroy your grass plus the fact that the area will get covered in poo which is not good for the chickens either. I'm not sure what your set-up will look like but *this* might be helpful for you to decide what to do about a permanent run. There are lots of good ideas and pictures not only for eglus and cubes but for wooden houses as well. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keanie Bean Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 I know some are using large gravel for a permanent poultry run which is supposed to be good if especially if you cant move your run due to limited space. They will still need an are to dust bathe though. Good Luck with your new hens and coop, i'm sure you will love it. Sarah.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
