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

[popster]

Hello there

 

I've had my chickens for 4 weeks now (4 lovely ex batts) and they are settling in well. I've searched the forums and I never seem to get the exact answers I want to some of my questions so here goes!

 

I've moved my cube onto woodchips (on soil) as the OH was complaining about his beautiful lawn, but how often should I change them? The chickens create enough poo and mess for it to look a state after a day especially after all this rain and under the grub. Should I be poo picking or just raking the run over? The omlet guide seemed to suggest changing the chips every couple of months but not sure if I can last that long as the smell isn't great.

 

Also the chickens aren't laying as much as they did initially, only getting 1 a day from the 4 of them. Is this ok, or is something likely to be wrong? I'm feeling like an overprotective mum about them!

 

the forum is great by the way have learnt loads from it and it has become my new guidebook to life

 

Thanks

Claire

 

[Space Chick]

I've never used woodchips so can't advise, but there will be someone along who can help soon.

 

The move can put your girls off laying, but it may be worth checking them for lice, also it might be worth worming them as that can stop egg laying.

 

Welcome to the forum though, and we'd love to see some pics of your girls

[Falkor]

Hi Popster!

 

Regarding the woodchip - firstly is your cube run covered? This makes a huge difference to the smell and the muddy state! I have two girls in a three metre eglu run half covered, half not and woodchips inside. The uncovered woodchip is NASTY! and the covered is lovely...looks as good as when it first went in I am off to B&Q tomorrow to buy additional plastic sheeting to cover up the rest.

 

To battle the current smellyness I would rake it all up, pick through and remove the biggest bit of poo you can find and sprinkle Stalosan or Biodry onto the bare ground before raking the woodchip back. Pop a roof on and should be good

 

I change the woodchip completly about everu six weeks but do the routine above once a week

 

Re the egg production....I would say they are probably taking a bit of a rest after their time as battery hens and if they seem healthly then probably nothing to worry about just settling in. However it won`t hurt to check them all over for creepy crawlies and double check the cube for any signs too. My Orp had lice and stopped laying completly until I treated her for it.

I would also say worm them all if you haven`t already....

[popster]

Thanks for the advice - guess i'll be at B&Q over the weekend then

 

Will post pics when the run looks better, i'd imagine at present you could smell it through the photos!

 

[sjp]

i use wood chips started off about 4" deep had this batch down about 2 months. poo pick every day the girls turn it over /dig holes in it every day i add diatom,biodryabout every 4 weeks then louse powder/stalon f 2 weeks later. spray it with poutlry shield about evey 10 days its just about ready for a change its getting a right soaking at the moment had about 1" of rain in the last 24Hrs but i drys out pritty well

[Guest]

hi i run chicken sanctuary in cannock staffs i use chipped trees 8 inches thick rake over every night take top 2 inches of once month add 2inc on top job done no smell no dirty chippings keeps dry in top of run coverd