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

[speckled hen]

Hi everyone

I have decided to use auboise in my new walk in run (trying to get pics on forum) I have a few questions:

 

How much do i need for a run that is 9 x 6ft ?(it is on blocked paving)

 

How long does it last?

 

Do i renew it all or the bit that looks dirty?

 

I have found a stockist, they dont know how much to use for chickens and hubby thinks it is a bit expensive (£10 a bale) so I want to get it right the first time!

 

Thanks in advance

[Tweety]

I would get 2 bales to start with, which should be more than enough and will leave you with extra to top up with if necessary. I renew mine completely every 3 months or so, but obviously much will depend on how many hens you have and how much time they spend in the run. Otherwise, I give it a bit of a raking over 2 or 3 times a week and remove any very manky patches. It really is great stuff and well worth the money!

[Hen Watch]

I pay £8.25 per bale of Auboise from a horse supply shop. I use half a bale in an eglu run + converter (not sure quite how big that is?). I only put down about 1 inch deep and throw it away and replace it completely once a month (it composts well by the way).

[speckled hen]

thanks for the replies, my local pet shop stocks hemcore, he says this is the british version of auboise and is as good?? it is where we normally get all of our supplies from so might give it a try, need to get something asap as my girls are scratting about on block paving wondering where all the lovely mud has gone!!

[Egluntyne]

It is as good....it is just slightly chunkier.

 

Tell your husband it is very economical and the hens love it.

 

Don't forget that you will need to have a roof or cover on your run as it is super absorbent and will soak up every drop of rain.

[TheCoop]

All this is good to know. We built a new run for our 3 yesterday, but 125 litres of decorative woodchip was not enough to fill it. I was thinking of topping it up with Aubiose (£8.95 per bale). Is it OK to mix the woodchip with the Aubiose??

[Egluntyne]

I don't see why not, but don't forget about the cover!

[TheCoop]

Yes - we have put a cover on there. 1 length of bitumen covered corrugated and 2 lengths of clear corrugated plastic. We need to get some for some of the side panels to as it is a bit 'open' at the moment. Luckily we have a day off today as well to finish it!!

[speckled hen]

Hi

I bought the hemcore today, the girls ignored it and went to bed!!! well it was 4pm! The new run is covered so hope it stays nice and dry. All I need now is some eggs, come on girls!

[Redwing]

Is it OK to mix the woodchip with the Aubiose??

 

I do and its been a great sucess, I add new aubiose by pouring it on top of the run and brushing it so it falls through the bars. The girls then scratch it in for me and it drys up any wet patches and keeps smells down a treat!

[TheCoop]

OK - weird question time....

 

Do chickens eat Aubiose and if so, can it harm them?

 

I only ask as we have spent ages building a new, larger run for them (still with their house inside). I have lined it with decorative woodchip (like always) and covered it with a pretty thick layer of Aubiose. Barbara now seems to be out of sorts for some reason. We have seen her eating some bits of Aubiose (we think). She is staying inside the house bit rather than free-ranging with the other 2 during the day. She sits there kind of 'hunched' if you know what I mean and preens. She seems to be alright in herself, but doesn't really want to come out. She is normally the first to fly out the door when we open it in the morning, but now seems reluctant to leave.

 

Is this somthing to do with Aubiose do you think or is it just getting used to the nw surroundings or is it something else???

 

(The other 2 are fine btw...)

 

Thanks.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I started off using Hemcore and really liked it but the price rose to about £12 a bale so I changed to Easibed which is only about £6-7 a bale. It's finer in texture but does just as good a job.

[Tweety]

My chickens eat bits of Aubiose or Hemcore regularly, and it doesn't seem to have done them any harm yet. I would keep an eye on Barbara if I were you - she may be perfectly ok, but I am always worried if one of my girls is sitting hunched up and not behaving normally. Is she eating and drinking normally?

[TheCoop]

Yes - she seems to be fine - eating, drinking & preening. She was out this morning, but they're all inside again now as it's raining, but she's preening and looking perky, so no real obvious problems. Maybe sh was having a couple of 'off' days and trying to say 'why did you have to make a bigger & better run for me?'