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

[Mrs Nesbitt]

Hi all

 

Those of you with woodchip in your runs, how often do you clear it out and what do you do with it after?? Surely it doesn't compost particularly quickly does it?? Does it mean regular trips to the tip??

 

Am in the process of making a walk in run on paving and not sure whether to cover floor with woodchip or aubiose. If I use aubiose I will probably have to pretty much cover all the sides of run as it is in a very exposed part of the garden. Not sure this is practical or very nice for us or chooks

 

Ideas/comments would be welcome!!

 

Mrs N

[Janty]

Definitely go for aubiose and cover the run. I tried woodchip and didn't get on with it. The aubiose is magic and absorbs the poo wonderfully. The girls also love to dustbathe in it.

[Lydia]

Definitely go for aubiose or similar. The trouble with woodchip is the hens spill the food on it which then goes off and gets mouldy very quickly (especially when it gets wet) and stinks to high heaven!

 

I would also advise covering your run and putting boards round the bottom to keep the aubiose in.

 

Aubiose dries out very quickly and absorbs poo easily making the run an altogether more pleasant place for your chooks and you when you pop in for a visit.

[rabbitfluff]

I recently started using woodchip once my girls got rid of all the grass in their run. It seems to work fine but I would say to make sure you get woodchip as the bark chippings I tried first (I'm a cheapskate!) were already half mulched and wet in the bag and with all the rain made for a muddy run. You live and learn though! The wood chippings seem to stay in good nick and at the moment I've just been raking it over and taking off the worst every week or 2 and topping it up with fresh, that way you don't end up with loads to get rid of all at once. Though I have been putting it in the garden rubbish bin, naughty composter that I am. I'm hoping I only need do a full clean out of the chippings a couple of times a year.

[thebunster]

Do not use bark chippings - they are prone to fungus and mould, which can cause respiratory problems for the girls.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I wouldn't worry about having to cover the run - you can use clear plastic so daylight gets through (and you can still see your little darlings ) and you'll just need boards or something a foot or so high round the sides to stop the aubiose getting kicked out.

[Janty]

I use railwaysleepers around the outside of the runs to keep the aubiose in.

[Goosey Lucy]

I've used hemcore and Easibed and much prefer Hemcore. Easibed seemed to pong.