What is the easiest way to introduce new chickens to an existing flock?

[Jules.]

My chooks always poo along the grey plastic bit that separates the two poo trays, & the poo drops down under the trays onto the grey bottom bit

 

Today I've cleaned the girls out, & wondered how I can protect this bit of the cube, & I came up with the idea of as well as lining the poo trays with newspaper I covered the grey "hummock-ey" bit with newspaper as well, overlapping it over onto the poo trays.

 

This should stop me having extra bits of the cube to clean out

 

Apologies to all those cube owners who are cleverer than I am, & who already do this to keep their cube clean

Edited December 7, 2008 by Guest

[The Dogmother]

I'd be interested to hear how you find that Jukles, because in the past, I've found that newspaper 'wicks' wet so that it ends up sodden, even when there wasn't previously any wet in the eglu/cube.

[Jaime]

How about a section of narrow guttering placed upside down to cover the gaps?

 

I havent tried it - it was just a thought

[karlotta]

I do the 'bridging' newspaper trick too!

[JM]

I've noticed that they aim for that bit too - but that solution never occurred to me!! Well done - I will try it too.

[Egg Lou]

I've always done this as mine made a mess on the bar on the first day

 

I use the centre fold so that it falls down neatly each side and then line the actual trays with more paper on top.. I think it works really well! Altough at teh moment I also sprinkle auboise or shavings on top to help soak up the "wet" bits!

[MaggieMcHen]

I shall try the plastic gutter upside down idea as I have some left over from building Peckingham Palace. The other possibility is tin foil which wouldn't wick the moisture up out of the poo trays

[Jules.]

One week on, & its cleaning out day again while the weather is dry. Please excuse all Poppy's feathers, she seems to be permanently moulting.

The newspaper in the middle was wet, but no more wet than it normally is, & it all s"Ooops, word censored!"ed off quite easily into the very full compost bin.

 

This is the view when the back of the cube was taken off

 

 

 

So ok, the newspaper origami did let some dirt onto the cube bottom, but this was dry dirt, not sloppy, muddy dirt like before, so I didn't need to get my soapy water & scrubbing brush onto the cube base to clean it, & a quick dry brush was all that was needed.

 

I couldn't resist a picture of my girls in the frost.

[Redwing]

Good idea Batman, glad it worked

 

I had to re-check your signature to see how many chickens you have as those trays looked like an explosion in a poo factory

 

I STILL can't get over how much poo chickens produce

[quickcluck]

We've taken your advice and done it too today. Thanks

[Plum]

That is some poo Will remember your trick if mine ever get around to sleeping in the proper area.

[Snowy]

That is some poo Will remember your trick if mine ever get around to sleeping in the proper area.

You want to see how much 10 produce!!

I think all those feathers make it look worse than it is

[Karen & co.]

That's a great idea Hope you don't mind if I borrow it

 

Karen x

[dancing cloud]

What lovely girls!

 

And my six can produce a poo-mountain too . Looking at the size of them, you'd swear they'd had friends round ...

[helenmb]

I sprinkle in stalosan (using an old flour dredger) onto the bottom of the tray (and on the cube floor too) which helps with soaking up moisture and also neutralizing the amonia and pooey whiffs too. I also add in bedding either hemcore, aubiose or flax whatever I can get easily into the base of the poop decks as this helps the poo to slide out into my composter more easily.

[The Dogmother]

That's exactly what I do Helen and it's clean, whiff-free and dry.