Single hen

[beach chick]

sounds like a gardening topic - sorry!

 

anyway, my 2 eglus + basic runs are inside a 50m leccy fence. been in there for 2.5 months now.

 

in that time, the grass has grown through the floor mesh, and I now cant move either run!!

 

the ground inside the runs is stamped hard, so I cant rake it over to remove poos - despite the fact they are only in there from when they get up til 7 or 8 am. It's actually got worse since I put corrugated plastic over the outside of the runs to keep them dry...

 

they spend all day everyday outside in the 'big' area, so they only go back into the run to lay or eat and go to bed at dusk.

 

I was planning to sprinkle garden lime and/or stalosan directly onto the earth - is this a good idea, or do I have to dig the lime in somehow? in which case I'll have to try and cut the grass round the floor mesh and see if I can get the runs up. or just use stalosan, if that's ok?

 

also, I use wood shavings in the poo tray and nesting box, but dont find they compost that well - is hemcore or aubiose better?

 

AND FINALLY... does anyone know a website which sells aubiose, Stalosan and Flubenvet and garden lime?! just trying to keep delivery costs down.

 

sorry this is so long, thanks for any advice!!

[chickenanne]

I use hemcore, and that definitely compsts faster than the shavings I've used in the past, even in winter weather it rots down reasonably fast.

 

Hopefuly someone can answer the rest of your questions!

 

Garden lime I can buy in any garden centre, also the DIY chain stores if they're a decent size, in the gardeny bit. I would guess that if you sprinkle it on the surface it'll jsut sit there if it's not washed in by rain etc. Maybe take the cover off for a bit? Dunno.

[beach chick]

thanks chickenanne. think I will try hemcore/aubiose, because the wood shavings just dont seem to compost down (I only put them in the poo tray/nesting box anyway).

couldnt get garden lime in the garden centre, will try the DIY sheds next time I'm there.

 

anyone any views on stalosan directly onto earth??

[Hen Watch]

I used brute force when my eglu rooted itself to the spot recently.

 

I find that Auboise composts well.

 

Can't help with a one stop shop website as I get mine separately. Auboise from horse supply shop, flubenvet bought online (petmeds.co.uk) and garden lime I got in a local garden centre but they only sold the pellets which I bought but if I did it again I would buy the powder form.

[beach chick]

I tried gentle force to start with, was a bit worried about bending the mesh!!

brute force does sound the easiest and quickest option though.