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

[AJuff]

I just can't decide which would be best for a 3 x 6m walk in run!! It currently has a very thick layer of smelly easibed down on earth.

 

I need soething that is easy to clean and won't cost the earth or break my back on cleaning day!!

[Egluntyne]

I have Aubiose on slabs and it works well.

 

Big clear out day is still hard work. but I bought a large plastic spade used for mucking out stables.....much lighter than an ordinary spade, and that makes matters easier too.

[Space Chick]

I wouldn't recommend the rubber chips if on slabs, if its on earth then fine. But I hose down the rubber and rake to get rid of the poo, but on slabs I would have thought that would have been a problem, so I'm going for Aubiose in my WIR.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Why do you think your Easibed is smelly ? You've got a cover on your run haven't you? I don't notice my Easibed smelling at all and it's on soil. Do you use Stalosan F?

[house-elf]

I have been having a dilemma on this too ! My hens are on slabs and I'm using woodchips, but its sooooo hard to see the poo and most of the time its the same colour as the woodchip ! So I have decided to use auboise during the summer and woodchip during the winter. I use the auboise in the coop and its brilliant !

 

Just not sure gow often I should do a mass clear out of the run ???? A book I have says to poo pick daily and clean the run out twice a year ???

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I tend to do a big clearout every 3 months or so but the WIR seems to be staying cleaner longer so I'm not rushing to do it! I do poo pick every day though.

[alison]

I put slabs down inside my run due to a panic with rat infestation. After 6 months I have taken up most of the slabs in the centre of the run as i found that the Aubiose ( like easibed) was compacting as there is no natural soakaway.

 

I used to have a major clearout every 6 weeks, removing all Aubiose and hosing down, it was really hard work. I now find that as most of it has drained into the earth, it is a lot easier, I soften the Aubiose that is on the slabs, with the hose and it all drains into the centre and disappears.

 

I use a snow shovel which is very light and picks up a lot on one go, I put it straight into a black bin and then someone comes from Freecycle and swops the bins over.

[AJuff]

Well the run is half protected by tarpualin but it's getting on a bit and needs replacing. I think that's why it's a bit smelly. It would take me two days to shovel it all out!!!

 

I would like half the run covered and half not so that they get more sunlight if the are in the run all day when I'm at work.

 

If I chose easibed on slabs I'd have to cover the whole run to keep it dry. Rubber chips I could do half and half but would that smell??

[kaz64]

Ive had rubber chippings down in my 8x4ft run for 3 months big mistake despite regular hosing down with a power washer the smell of rubber and the poo ends up as a sticky gloopy mess stuck to the rubber it is probably a breeding ground for all kinds of nasties especially coccidiosis and worms mine is being dug out tomorrow and replaced with childrens play bark as this is what I had before and it worked fine and could be put on the compost heap rubber chippings cant as they dont biodegrade. My advice would be to steer well clear of this stuff!

cheers kaz

[AJuff]

KAZ64 I initially put down bark in the run which ended up being a sloppy gloopy smelly mess. That's why I was thinking rubber chips. However now that you mention it I think not.

 

So paving slabs and easibed it is and a totally covered run. How do you use the Stalosan F? Does it go down on the slabs after you have raked out the easibed? Or on top of new/old easibed???

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I put Stalosan down on the soil before putting the new bedding down. You could do the same with slabs.

[Falkor]

Yup, I sprinkle Stalosan F onto my slabs and put the bedding on top

 

Occasionially I sprinkle some on top just for the hell of it!

 

Also I have a bark area outside my WIR so that my shoes don`t get muddy when popping out to tend to my girls every need and desire and I have found that the occasional sprinkle os Stalosan and rake over keeps it much nicer