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

[AndyH1981]

Hello again everybody...

 

I have a few more questions, hope evryone doesn't mind (I know this info is all over the site, but I alway prefer to hear stories from people who are looking after the birds in real life):

 

1. Which is better: keeping them on grass, or fencing off an area and laying down wood chippings for them?

I think I read that grass is okay as long as you keep it short, but it can become a "problem" when its raining coz it can get muddy.

Anyone have any preferences? I think I'm coming down on the side of woodchips - if so, how often do you need to replace the woodchip etc?

 

2. In terms of "gritting" the birds, do you just sprinkle some around their run, mix it in with their food - what?

 

3. What is best used for bedding?

 

Hope everyone doesn't mind me asking all these questions that I'm sure have been asked a zillion times before, but I'm still trying to evaluate whether or not I can do this (I'm sure I can... I'm really just looking for someone to talk me into it!).

 

Cheers,

Andy

[Ness3103]

do it do it i've had mine a week and i had my doubts but i'm loving it

 

mine are in a wir based on soil and a bit of hemcore to soak up the poos, i do poo pick at least once a day but that's because i got fed up with my kids walking it through the house apparently it doesn't smell, even when the weather was scorching hot. i have no sense of smell at the moment so it wouldn't bother me if it did

 

woodchips are sposed to be good and rubber chips are even better. i just ran out of money as my wir cost a wee bit more than expected

[AndyH1981]

^^^ anyone that walks it though my house is getting their feet chopped off! hehe...

 

the idea is definately growing on me more and more, and I've already started saving up, just like to be informed...

[Carol U]

Hi Andy,

 

Difficult to be precise, as I don't know what your set up is - e.g. are we talking eglu run, small area, huge area etc? Anyhow, unless you have a pretty large area and not too many hens, grass will disappear in no time flat and you will be left with dust/mud. If it's a fairly small area, with no cover, wood chips would be better. Alternatively, with a covered run you could use one of the horse beddings, which are very absorbent, such as Aubiose or Hemcore.

You would need to change woodchips whenever they became unpleasant - depending on area and number of chickens.

 

Grit is usually put in pot which can be hooked over the mesh of the run, or somewhere they can easily reach it but can't kick it over. All pet shops sell them quite cheaply.

 

As for bedding, if it's for the floor of their house, under the perches, or their nest box, you can either use straw or the horse bedding mentioned above.

 

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions as and when you need.

[Chucky Mama]

Hi Andy, I am in Swindon and a have a cube. I have the standard run attached. The run in on grass and I move the cube to a fresh piece of grass every 4-5 days. In between times I poo pick the run (and the rest of the garden as they free range all day). During the winter I put down bark chip in the run as the part of the garden where the cube is gets quite soggy and muddy. I changed the barkchip 3 times over the winter and poo picked every day or so.

In terms of grit, I used to have a bowl of grit in the garden all the time but now just add a bag to a bin of food. I am guessing that as they free range all day that they pick up a fair bit of grit naturally.

[AndyH1981]

Carol - thanks for the info...

 

I don't have a massive garden, as I'm smack in the middle of a fairly residental area (albiet a fairly quiet one). I'm probably going to get an Eglu Cube, so that's the run area that they'd have (though I'm happy to let them out when I'm around).

 

Bedding was definately intended for the inside of the Eglu, so straw sounds good, and at least I now know what to do with the grit!

 

Thanks for the advice...

[chick wiggle]

Hi Andy

We have a cube too and also move it around the garden about once a week, poo pick most days also inside the run and by the time we move it a good rake seems to bring the grass back up in no time. However come the winter we are planning to keep it in one spot with wood chips. We havent had them through a winter yet so no doubt will be asking some more questions about that nearer the time.

 

[Budgies]

Hi Andy. My garden is about 40feet by 20 feet and I quickly found I was losing grass by moving the eglu unit around the garden.

 

I've seen lots of different set ups and horse bedding seems to win out - you replace it every few weeks/months.

 

I'd be a bit wary using straw for bedding. Many chooks eat it and it can impact their crops. Technically, chickens roost on the bars in the eglu or cube at night, so don't really require bedding. If you want to throw a handful in their nesting box, the only thing it does is prevent the eggs getting broken as the girls stand to lay, but mine had nothing in their nesting box (because they ate everything I tried to introduce to them!) and I only ever had one broked egg in three years!

 

Grit can also be sprinkled through their run to give them something to scratch for, as it's a normal behaviour.

 

I don't think you'd regret getting chickens!!

[AndyH1981]

^^^ Thank you... lots of ideas there.. your garden is bigger than mine by the sounds of it (mine is probably 12-15ft deep by 25ft wide - is that just too small?),not big at all, but then I'm only planning on getting 2/3 girls. Maybe keeping the cube/run static and replacing the woodchip every few months would be easier for me!?!?

[Budgies]

Your garden will be fine for three girls if you site your run permanently and let them free range to have access to grass for a while each day. Yes, woodchip would work ok.

[AndyH1981]

Your garden will be fine for three girls if you site your run permanently and let them free range to have access to grass for a while each day. Yes, woodchip would work ok.

 

Woohoo! I litterally just made that "woohoo" sound too... much to the suprise of t'other half who gave me a very odd sideways glance...

 

That setup would actually be ideal for me, so good to hear that someone thinks that its okay!

[littleleicesterfox]

Hi Andy - I'm in Calne just south of you and although I am also new to this game, you're welcome to come and visit my set up if you like.

 

It sounds like my garden is a pretty similar size to yours and I have set my cube up on woodchips so we didn't have to move it around the garden. We've got four girls in there and, from what I gather, I am pretty lucky because they love doing the raking for me!

 

I let mine free range during the day, although it's 'fun' (in the broadest possible sense of the word!!) trying to get them back in if I want to go out!

 

PM me if you would like to come along and visit any time

 

Michelle