Cube mk2 and WIR

[Steph101]

I've been using barley straw for the past few months; originally I was using shredded paper. I switched to the straw because it looks nicer!

[Egluntyne]

Aubiose.....it is fab.

 

I always found that straw and paper very quickly became cold, manky and slimy.

[Steph101]

i'll try that next time, thank you Eglutine!

[Willow]

I tried shredded paper which would be eaten before it had time to get manky I'm currently using sawdust (pet bedding) which works well - I got a huge bale for the quail but switched to joflax for them so I'll be using sawdust for a long time yet...

[enzed]

Please please be careful about the straw in the nesting box. We were using the soft straw for small animals, as was recommended in a book about chicken keeping. Geraldine ended up with a blocked crop in March, and then again last week (vet reckons she had a muscle weakness after the last time) and had to be put down because she was so sick. We use hemcore or aubiose, which is very small, so it doesn't tangle up in a ball if the chickens eat it.

 

Don't want to scare anyone, but don't want any other chickens to end up like Geraldine.

[Rona]

I use Hemcore. Fill the nest up when I clean out and then scoop out the poopy bits every day when I collect the eggs.

[JulesL]

I just use shredded paper. It gets changed every day as Hilda likes to sleep with her back end hanging over the nesting box so I often find a pile of poos in the morning.

[jlo]

I am now worried after reading Enzed's post! I use straw. I did change to aubiose but Tango slept in the nestbox - I think that it made it far more appealing. I changed back to straw and she is not in there anymore at night. I am going to have to rethink though

[Steve.]

I use cross-cut shredded paper. I've only change it once and that was because it had lost it's 'bounce'. Only had one poo in the nest box to date.

[Ian47]

I use cross-cut shredded paper. I've only change it once and that was because it had lost it's 'bounce'. Only had one poo in the nest box to date.

 

Hi Steve,

 

I also have five chooks in a cube as of today. After being told by the omlet guy that my chooks were only 17/18 weeks old I decided to block off the nest box so as to get them used to sleeping in the main cube. Did you do some thing similar or are you just lucky to have had only one poo in the nest box so far.

Regards Ian

[abwsco]

I use a mixture of hemcore and chopped dust extracted straw.

 

I have either 2 or 3 sleeping in the nestboxes but don't mind as they are ex batts so they can sleep where they want Only takes a minute to pick the poo out in the morning.

[Steve.]

I use cross-cut shredded paper. I've only change it once and that was because it had lost it's 'bounce'. Only had one poo in the nest box to date.

 

Hi Steve,

 

I also have five chooks in a cube as of today. After being told by the omlet guy that my chooks were only 17/18 weeks old I decided to block off the nest box so as to get them used to sleeping in the main cube. Did you do some thing similar or are you just lucky to have had only one poo in the nest box so far.

Regards Ian

 

Hi Ian ... I blocked it off with a big lid from a large plastic box, some bamboo canes, and garden twine.

 

Bamboo canes made a 'X' inside the nesting box. I put a couple of holes though the big lid and attached via garden twine.

 

I took the caboodle out a day or two before I thought they were going to start laying. Worked well.

 

Since then one chook has moved from the roosting bars and roosted on the nest-box edge and did a few poo's.

 

Audrey has done a very small poo twice after laying an egg (she's only done about 3 or 4 eggs so far) and hopefully the other chooks will tell her off.

 

After all the trouble the others get my lot do seem to have trained themselves in this.

[stoice]

I have a wooden house (Part of my shed) which i have lined the floor with an off-cut of lino cushion flooring for easy cleaning. On top of this I put chopped straw (Called Medi Bed by Dengie, it's sprayed with a bitter tasting additive to stop horses and other animals eating it) I also put shredded paper in the nest box area to make it nice a soft and inviting. (Plus it's satisfying knowing that if any of my girls poo in there they have done it on some of my old bills and junk mail!)

 

Stacey

[enzed]

I am now worried after reading Enzed's post! I use straw. I did change to aubiose but Tango slept in the nestbox - I think that it made it far more appealing. I changed back to straw and she is not in there anymore at night. I am going to have to rethink though

 

Mine both did this when we started using the hemcore inthe nesting box (think it's because it's nice and soft), but a week of putting an upside down flowerpot in the box overnight stopped that completely.

[KateP]

I did use straw but then read that it isn't a good idea. I then switched to shredded paper but wondered where it all kept disappearing to until I saw them eating it! I then tried sawdust but I saw one of them trying to eat this too so now I don't use anything at all.