4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Busybird]

I've just been reading a number of posts about poos and smells in the run and those without this problem seem to use aubiose or hemcore or bark chippings. When I got my Eglu and run + extension in January I moved it around on the grass which then got totally trashed and smelly. I now keep it on one area of lawn (mud). This gets raked out weekly (when I move the whole thing for cleaning) and I sprinkle sand on top but on wet days I still notice a poo smell. I poo pick daily but my brush / rake won't reach the whole way down the run for a quick clean out.

 

Two questions here. First, if I started using aubiose or hemcore would I have to totally cover the run? I can imagine it gets really soggy in the rain. I have three covers on my run - the refresher shade, a cube cover and the original triangle cover but the run still gets boggy in the rain.

 

Second, will the ground get 'contaminated' if I keep the run on one part of the lawn permanently? I wouldn't want my girls getting sick. If I have to start putting down a bedding should I also put down slabs that can be washed?

 

Does anyone out there who has had chickens for a year or so still keep them on mud? I love the look of the runs that a lot of you have built but for us it is an Eglu, run and daily free ranging so I do need to sort out the smell.

 

Thanks

[Yolky]

I was going to put mine on slabs with bedding. I think you do have to keep the run covered in the rain though. Have you tried shower curtains? Also do you already use bokashi bran and garlic powder for the smells?

[Egluntyne]

Yes. you will need a cover on the run, as Aubiose and Hemcore are super absorbent and will soak up every drop of rain.

 

It does dry out quite quickly too.

[quickcluck]

should you put some garden lime on your soil every now and then to restore it?

[urbanchick]

I started off with the chickens just on soil with a layer of aubiose. I couldn't quite get used to the fact that alot of the chicken poo simply built up in the soil, even when I raked the aubiose out. Eventually I put down paving slabs on top of the soil (no base preparation, straight on the ground) with aubiose and I'm much happier with this. On cleaning out day I can s"Ooops, word censored!"e every last dropping off the slabs and feel much better knowing it's fresh and clean.

 

If I forget to cover the run in heavy rain then the aubiose gets drenched and it really pongs. The only solution is to rake it all out and replace it. Other than this I have never had a problem with smells, with or without slabs, and perhaps this is because I have always used aubiose.

[Yolky]

Approx how deep should the bedding be on the run and how long does a bale last. Thanks.

[chelsea]

I've used hemcore for nearly 2 years and its great.

 

I switched over to aubiose about 3 months ago and find it even better - its finer and dries out really quickly.

[alison]

I plonked half a bag in a heap in the middle of my 9x9 pen and the 6 chooks flattened it, they had a great time!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I have had an eglu plus converter on soil for 9 months. I use Hemcore and have corrugated plastic covering the run (it's hardly been off with the rubbish weather we've had ).

 

It stays lovely and dry and there is no smell at all (even weeks after cleaning out).

 

I use about half a bale every 6 weeks or so.

[Yolky]

I wish I could get hemcore or auboise round here

 

I am sure I read on here that someone who lives near the MIL in Essex gets some locally so perhaps when we do one of our visits we shall have to buy a few bales to keep us going.

[Busybird]

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds as if I need to put the run on slabs and cover it if I want to use a bedding material. Not sure how OH would react to that - he thinks I spend too much on my chooks already

 

I give garlic powder about once a week and have just bought a bag of bokashi bran so will try to use those more to see if it helps with smells. Should I just add them to the girls pellets?

 

I had been sprinkling the 'extras' (garlic powder, poultry spice, crushed eggshell) on my fruit and veggie offerings but often when I do this the girls turn up their beaks although they will eat it eventually. I wonder if they don't like the smell (my children complain about the smell of the chickens garlic powder when I load up their 'treats' grub in the kitchen).

 

Oh and one more question, do I need to add garden lime to the mud to stop contamination?

 

Thanks

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I add bokashi bran and garlic to the pellets. They don't seem to mind!

 

When I clean out our run, I sprinkle down some Stalosan F (a disinfectant safe for animals) and also some garden lime (which neutralises the acidity of the poo in the soil).

[cammy73]

I put the garlic powder in with the pellets, and they eat it with no problems

Sharon x

[chelsea]

I wish I could get hemcore or auboise round here

 

.

 

im in Devon and you are south west are you as far down as me?

 

Several suppliers in Somerset sell hemcore, if you are nearer to somerset.

 

We get our aubiose from a locally owned pet store, but Mole Valley sell hemcore.

 

www.hemcore.co.uk

 

there is a distributors list on their site

[Yolky]

Thanks Chelsea. I shall have a look for suppliers in Bristol

[Sandychick]

I wish I could get hemcore or auboise round here

 

Places that sell stuff for horses will sell it (it is horse bedding). There is likely to be an equestrian store somewhere near......especially in the South West!

[Yolky]

I have rang the three horsey places that are quite close to me Sandychick, I think I might have to try further away now...

[Yolky]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh thank you for the link Chelsea, there is a place for hemcore very close to my husbands work.....now to pursuade hin to go there. I shall get him to see if they have peck a blocks too, I need one but postage is high.

[chelsea]

no worries, I would suggest ringing the supplier before making a special journey just to check they have some in stock, we have found a lot of stockists down here are short on hemcore at the moment.

[Yolky]

Good idea, shall give them a ring in the morning, they may have auboise if they don't have hemcore too.

[Ange1]

Just wanted to say thanks for the link too!

[redhotchick]

I started off moving the Eglu around the lawn but after a particularly rainy week when I was away, I got back to find the poor girls in a mud bath! If I had been home I'd have moved them before it got to that stage (They did have a minder, but they never thought to move the run)

 

I quickly sorted out some corrugated plastic strapped to the run using a couple of bungees. It's about £10 altogether in B&Q. I got some horse bedding and put it straight onto the grass. (Megazorb as I also couldn't get Aubiose or Hemcore). The girls have been dry and comfy ever since.

 

I've recently got some Aubiose (delivered and therefore not that cheap) Having seen it now, I'm sure there was something similar in the horse shop when I got the Megazorb.

 

I use plastic lawn edging to keep the bedding in, as do a few others on the forum. If you are near me I have some left (and I find it useless as lawn edging )

 

I'm going to get some Stalosan next time I'm getting some feed.