pencilbeckett Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 Hi All As you can see from my previous post i am having mud problems. I am thinking of using woodchip but need a base. Because it is the farmers field i cant put down paving so last night i trawled the net and found rubber grassmats and eco mat breathable groundsheet. If anyone has any experience with either of these before i invest i would be grateful to hear about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 Just wondering what would happen to the poo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pencilbeckett Posted November 8, 2008 Author Share Posted November 8, 2008 Hi It Is like a grid with big holes in, it just gives the ground some stability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 Sounds like they're worth looking into . Only concern I might have would be if the girls were scratching about, could they get their claws caught in the rubber or mesh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alk630 Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 We've been using six grass mats (http://www.grassmats.co.uk) under and Eglu + extension , for exactly the same reason you mentioned, for the last three months... and they're fantastic! The mats allow the woodchips on top to drain and stay dry. They are extremely soft rubber so as to not damage the chicken's claws, but at the same time extremely durable. After a few months we intend to pull them up, jet wash and replace the woodchip on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 We've been using six grass mats (http://www.grassmats.co.uk) under and Eglu + extension , for exactly the same reason you mentioned, for the last three months... and they're fantastic! The mats allow the woodchips on top to drain and stay dry. They are extremely soft rubber so as to not damage the chicken's claws, but at the same time extremely durable. After a few months we intend to pull them up, jet wash and replace the woodchip on top. They would be great for the track that the dogs make racing each other up the garden Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 i have an eco mat breathable groundsheet and use it in the caravan. i'm not so sure it would stand up to chickens on it - i can just imagine them pulling it to pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pencilbeckett Posted November 8, 2008 Author Share Posted November 8, 2008 Hi Thanks for all the replys so far. My brother in law backed his caravan in to a wall last week and it has been written off lucky for me not so for him. He has a big eco mat which he used in the awning so i am going to try it. I dont think they are quite as durable as the proper grass mats but worth a try. Will keep you all posted. I am thinking i will probably end up changing it for proper grass mats but you never know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pencilbeckett Posted November 8, 2008 Author Share Posted November 8, 2008 Found some cheap eco mat on line if anyone is interested. http://www.worldofcamping.co.uk/shop/Detail.asp?ProductID=368 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 I use rubber door mats bought from Morrisons. My chooks poop the most at the very end of the run and also I have clay soil so it gets boggy. So I have 2 rubber mats at the end of the run (which have holes in) and I cover them in Auboise bedding. Every week they get compacted with poop and I have to knock it out into the compost bin and refresh with Auboise. Have been doing this for over a year now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pencilbeckett Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Wow what a great idea, the grass mats are so expensive. Will definately try that if my groundsheet fails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
