Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[err_rachael]

two months on and everything is going great!

 

I think I'm chicken obsessed. They have even started laying

 

I just wanted to ask advice really. At the moment we have the eglu run in the same area with the fencing around it. But we let them out to free range in the afternoon. Only the area of land that we have the eglu run on is very muddy now as you can imagine. I don't want them to get muddy feet and the weather seems to be getting worse so what should I do?

 

I have heard of something called aubiose and an old shower curtain? How would I go about this? And would it just go around the actual eglu run? Thanks in advance!

[Egluntyne]

You put Aubiose in the run and the shower curtain over the run to prevent the Aubiose absorbing rainwater.

 

I don't think hens mind having dirty feet.

[err_rachael]

Really? I always thought you put the shower curtain underneath the aubiose...whoops! I'm glad I asked now

 

Is the shower curtain definitely necessary?

 

Also.. do you just lay the aubiose down straight away or do you need some sort of border to contain it?

 

At the moment the ground in the run is just..ground. No grass and very wet

[Egluntyne]

I would say that the curtain was necessary. Aubiose is so super absorbent that it would soon be waterlogged because of the rain.

 

I use clear plastic sheeting from Dunelm Mill.

 

It is up to you about the border. I don't bother but many use that crinkly green lawn edging, or gravel boards to keep it in.

 

I have my Eglus on paving slabs, permanently muddy ground being one of the reasons why I put them down. It makes it very easy to clean the run, and prevents rats tunneling in.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Glad to hear your chicken keeping is going so well .

 

I've used Hemcore in the past and now use Easibed (much the same stuff) and it works really well. I cover my run too as Egluntine says (I use corrugated plastic from B&Q but only because I have a really windy garden and plastic sheeting just got ripped off ).

 

I've used old rotary drier covers cut in half to stop the girls kicking all the Easibed out .

 

[Guest]

I used green covers from B & Q over the summer as sunshades. BUt a couple of weeks ago due to all the rain I wanted to replace it with plastic that would keep the rain out and let the light in. I bought a huge sheet of polythene from Wickes for £7, it is not totally clear, just lightly opaque, but I needed it in a hurry. it works well, keeps them dry and provides a little shade on sunny days (when we get them).

 

Louise

[Hen Watch]

Shower curtains over the eglu run are an option I've used for 18 months. I have now invested in corrugated plastic just like ANH's picture. So both are good options to keep the Auboise on the run floor dry.

 

[err_rachael]

Hi just an update

 

Ordered some aubiose from a website (we don't have a car so would be quite tricky getting hold of some). Decided to lay some paving slabs down today because the rain just turned the inside of the run into complete mud. I cleaned them out yesterday and already the inside of the eglu has got mucky because they walk in the mud. The aubiose will help so much! Also going to pick up 1 or 2 shower curtains at somewhere like Wilkinson.

 

I felt so bad for Maj and Maz today. Walking around in the rain and feeling sorry for themselves. We leave the eglu door open during the day so they can go in whenever.

 

We also have the regular summer shade up but I figured this wouldnt protect them. So I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not or how well this would work..but I pegged some recycling bags over the run. Though I think it's a case of too little too late. The ground which I mentioned earlier is just so muddy!

 

Will just wait on the aubiose now. Can't wait for it to come!!

[PurpleTree]

Clear shower curtains in Ikea are just 89p, if you've got one near you. It all seems quite dry in there at the moment, although just inside the door of the run looks a bit soggy this morning, I think the wind was blowing the rain in last night.

 

There's some pics of it here http://welshpurpletree.wordpress.com/2008/10/18/more-chicken-pics/

 

I did try posting one of the pics, but it came out enormous!