Sooo much pooping

[Otter]

I have spent a lovely morning window shopping and surfing for supplies before the big day. I was wondering how you all store your food/treats/health products etc and what your top ten faves were...

 

Also, a daft question probably . . . What do you line the nesting box with? Hay, straw or something else?!

[Stevie]

I use shredded bank statements in the nestbox-it gives me an enormous sense of satisfaction seeing eggs deposited on them and is the most use they'll ever have..!

 

The chooks feed and treats are in a galvanised metal dustbin outside my backdoor with a bungee cord strapped across the top and hooked onto the handles so the wind cannot blow it off.It has to be metal to prevent vermin from chewing their way into it.Their suppliments though i keep in a handy tray thingy with a handle in cupboard so i just grab the entire lot when topping up their garlic powder,poultry spice,citradel etc.

[Cinnamon]

Top Ten -

 

AFTER, the Eglu/Cube of course

 

Layers mash

Aubiose

Ivomec Eprinex

Flubenvet

Garlic Powder

Poultry Spice

Limestone Flour

Battles Poultry drink

Respite

Bumper bits/Uradex

 

All stored in a teeny hen shed next to the hen pen

[jomaxsmith]

I've got the World's Biggest Shed so my supplies are gradually taking that over! Mash, corn and Bokashi Bran are in a metal dustbin; garlic powder, grit, diatom etc are on the shelf and Easibed is on the floor. Top ten? Not sure I use 10 but the products I mention above are very good.

 

In the nestbox I currently have Easibed which I'm trying as it was cheaper than my usual Aubiose - it's working well so will probably stick with it. I tried shredded newspaper but found that my eggs got newsprint on them! Hay is not good for the nestbox- they eat it and get impacted crop. If you use straw make sure it's chopped straw as long bits can harbour red mite.

 

Jo

[Gallina]

In order of importance:

 

(1) Layers pellets

(2) Winter shade or something else to keep the rain out

(3) Fine grit (they wouldn't touch the co"Ooops, word censored!"r stuff)

(4) Diatom

(5) Bumper bits

(6) Purple spray or Ukadex

(7) Large plastic jug for scooping pellets out of sack.

 

That's all I have, so I can't go up to ten, unless I start adding things like newspaper for the poo tray or the trowel I use to pick up poos. I don't put anything in the nest box or in the run, and have never had any problems. I don't worm the hens either (but would do so if I found worms, of course).

 

I keep the food in a wheelie bin in a rat-proof brick shed, but would put it in a metal bin if I had a less substantial shed. If my kitchen were bigger, I would keep it there: but I do have a container in the kitchen which I fill up from the sack in the shed.

[BeckyBoo]

1) Layers pellets and layers mash as the ex-batts STILL won't eat pelletts

2) grit

3) corn

4) Aubiose or hemcore or flax or similar for in the poo trays and in the nest

also to scatter on the run floor if it gets really boggy

5) Red mite powder, for sprinkling on the roosting bars and in the run at cleaning time

6) Garlic powder, only just started getting them to eat it - supposed to stop the poo smelling (not working so far )

7) citronella - for sprinkling everywhere in the cube, on the run floor, on the roof of the cube, helps keep flies away

And I'm afraid that's about the limit of my supplies. They occasionally get mealworms but they're not cheap so not often and all mine are in 3 purple plastic bins in my greenhouse. I also have a plastic scoop for the food and a scrubbing brush that is purely for the hens

 

Mrs B

[Otter]

Thanks folks - all ideas now added to my shopping wish list!

 

Interesting about them eating hay and getting poorly . . . the vid on omlet where the lovely smiley man gets eggs out of an eglu shows hay/straw in the box . . .

 

We love the idea about using shredded bank statements

[Hen Watch]

the vid on omlet where the lovely smiley man gets eggs out of an eglu shows hay/straw in the box . . .

 

MY FAV PRODUCTS I WOULD NOT BE WITHOUT.

1. Auboise (hemp product for nestbox and run floor - fab at soaking up poo). Similar brand called Hemcore.

2. Shower Curtain & bungee cords - to go over run in winter. Keeps the Auboise dry so works better. But I've also used it in this rubbish summer weather we're having.

3. Garlic Powder - reduce poop smells

4. Mixed Dried Corn - half egg cup full thrown into the run and they follow it like dogs, never fails to get them in the run when I need them in.

 

MY NICE TO HAVE PRODUCTS.

5. Grit - mine get most free ranging, but I find they eat lots of grit in Winter when out less.

6. Poultry Spice - general condition suppliment.

7. Dustbath - always have one in the run - cat litter tray or similar with dry earth - usefull on horrid wet days and most important in winter.

8. Flubenvet - I prefer this wormer every 4 months but there are others on the market. Buy it online from petmeds.co.uk

[Mutrix Farmers]

Top ten products

 

1. Eglu

2. layers pellets

3. bokashi bran

4. garlic powder

5. galvanised bin

6. omlet fencing/netting

7. egg-skelter

8. crushed baked egg shells

9. limestone flour

10. mealworms (I think they are repulsive but the girls lurve them!!)

[hilda-and-evadne]

I was wondering how you all store your food/treats/health products etc and what your top ten faves were...

 

I wouldn't be without

 

* aubiose - it's miraculous how poo disappears into it

* bokhashi bran - a revelation, how much it reduces chicken smell

* layers pellets

* poultry grit - for fab egg shells

* poultry spice - mainly for adding to porridge on cold days

* Flubenvet - so I never have to worry that that yawn is a wormy-yawn

* red mite powder - for peace of mind

* citronella - makes the clean eglu smell lovely

* Ukadex - for emergencies, and I have to be careful to use it only on

weekdays so that the neighbours think that the smell is the Council

tarring the road somewhere nearby, and not in my garden

 

Everything lives on a shelf by the back door, except the pellets (galvanised dustbin with lid in the garden) and bokhashi bran (old plastic bin inside back door).

 

What do you line the nesting box with? Hay, straw or something else?!

 

I don't line the nesting box with anything.

[quickcluck]

glad to see your egg skelter got in there!

[Otter]

Thanks - we will try the aubiose I think as so many of you use it! The egg skelter is great - is it an invention of yours quickcluck?! (I think I better wait until the ladies arrive and are laying first though! )

[quickcluck]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo I wish.... but they are great I love mine... if you search on here it has many threads dedicated to it!