Juliep Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I'm still a novice, having got the chickens in Spring, and while I've learnt so much about them (and their poo), I'm stuck on this... I've got three chickens in an eglu, in a permanent site on bark chips over slabs. It's like the picture in the Omlet brochure, with wooden edging seperating it off from the lawn. The Girls have the luxury of free ranging all day, and have the run of the whole garden (and veggy patch since they learnt to jump/fly the gate) from 10am-ish to bedtime. I noticed at bedtime this evening that there are spores on the chips around the run (they look like white toothbrush bristles, though I don't know if that helps?!). I couldn't see any on the chips in the run. Now I've googled and omlet-ed and got myself all worried. The bark has been down about 3 months. Is it just a sign to change it? Do I replace it with something else? What are the health risks? Posts on here suggest woodchips or hemcore or auboise, but I don't have a roof over the area, so I don't think that these options will work... I can't be the only one in the position, can I? ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Been there done that ... I'm now using Hardwood Woodchips from B&Q. I hope will last at least a year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Our runs get changed once a month / every six weeks! We use a product called easibed, as bark chips become so mushy. A shower curtain will be a good buy for the Autumn & so will some bungees! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I was under the impression that the spores were dangerous but in a recent thread on here I was horribly embarassed and humbled to be completely proven wrong by a microbiologist Forumite who said they are merely harmless fungi and nothing to worry about. That has certainly reassured me! Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanchick Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 This happened to me a few months ago. I bought 2 bags of chipped bark from B&Q, spread them about then noticed white thread like patterns on them. In the open air I didn't think it would do much harm but it looked really unsightly. I think it's aspergillosis that is the danger but I don't know if that's what it was. I tried to research it and found little information but did discover that woodchips can harbour fungus too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliep Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 Thanks for the advice - I can go to sleep happy tonight, and start looking around for Hardwood chips tomorrow...unless Urbanchick has a different solution? I'd love to go the auboise route, but I don't think that'd suit the "Eglu in a garden / chickens free-ranging" model. As DH is just getting over the damage done to 'his' garden by the eglu originally being on grass, I don't think he'd go for building us a covered run as well! Apart from the mould, I've found the chips to be great. The chicks love scutting around in them, and they've just needed an occasional poop-scoop and rake. Perhaps if the chicks were 'indoors' more of the time the chips wouldn't have lasted so well... But thanks to you all again, that's another gap in my chicken keeping knowledge filled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanchick Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I have bark chips outside the cube where the chickens roam (fenced off corner of the garden). I personally love them as they look nice and keep your feet nice and clean when you walk on them. But definitely go for aubiose in your run, there is no reason why it would not be suitable and it is a very popular choice for forum users. I love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
