Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[lauragale]

I am VERY excited about the prospect of the chickens arriving!!!!

They won't be kept on grass - does anyone know if it would be good for me to plant up some big trays of grass for them.

Thanks in advance

Laura, Birmingham

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, Lauragale and congratulations on ordering your chickens . To be honest, they will decimate trays of grass in minutes . What surface are you putting them on? Horse type beddings are really good. If you don't actually have grass, you can always supplement their feed with greens .

[lauragale]

Thanks for your reply. I plan to put them on a hard surface with bark chippings - although I have read a lot about the benefits of horse bedding, so am not ruling anything out yet. I plan to go to a 'countryside' store tomorrow to investigate....

[sjp]

I use cushionbed It a woodchip bedding works out cheaper than garden centers and diy stores (bigger bales) easibed is simular get cushionbed AK feeds at shenstone on the way to Fosters easibed from here http://www.johnsonsfeed.co.uk/index.html

you can always grow cress or cut and come again sald leaves for them the salad leaves you'll get aleast 2 feeds out of them just grow them untill there about 2 or 3inch high then put the tray in the run let them help themselves then take it out let it grow again did this when i first had mine work out ok i'll do it again towards the end of the year

forgot to ask what have you ordered

[lauragale]

Hi SJP, thanks for the advice. I've ordered and eglu and just 2 chickens - a pepperpot and and gingernut. My main concern is the smell. I've read lots of posts about the smell, and we live in very close proximity to our neighbours. Surely it is possible to keep on top of the cleaning....

any more advice?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

It's really very easy to keep on top of the smell - especially if you only have 2 hens .

 

My top tips would be:

 

1. Keep your run covered & the bedding dry (corrugated plastic sheets are ideal for eglu runs).

 

2. When cleaning out your run, sprinkle down Stalosan F. It's a powdered disinfectant and helps to keep things clean, fresh and dry.

 

3. Give your hens garlic powder and bokashi bran in their feed. Both are good for digestion and reducing smells.

 

4. Sprinkle citronella in the poo tray when you've cleaned it out.

 

5. Use a horse bedding like Easibed or Hemcore which absorb the poos and dry them out, reducing smells.

[sjp]

I got 5 in two runs 1 grass 1 woodchips changed the woodchips last week they'd been done about 2 or 3 months with 2 girls in the run they only smelt of damp wood

all my bedding I use bliss a tray type beddig goes into my compost bins which are open topped brick built and they don't smell so I wouldn't worry to much it manageable I've worked in houses with cats and dogs that smell ten times worse

just poo pick every day and get all your chores done before your girls arrive you wont get much done after and above all ENJOY THEM/b]

[Chickvic]

Hello and welcome to the forum, I am in a terrace house and my girls are on the patio with hemcore on top of the slabs. I also use citronella in the poo tray and clean them out every 3-4 weeks. I've had my girls for 16 months and have never had any complaints about the smell or anything

[lauragale]

Thanks for all your words of advice and encouragement - makes me feel much better. I was having second thoughts last night, but thanks to all your practical tips I am back on track and now very excited again - does anyone know how long it might be before the chickens arrive?

Thanks again, all the advice is priceless

xx

[Jennifer Jane]

It is day minus 20 to our new arrivals - we spent most of yesterday preparing their new home and garden! I've got citronella oil and just wanted to check whether you sprinkle it neat on the bedding or dilute it first?

 

Laura, I went through a cold feet phase to, having planned for this for so long. I wonder if it's natural, a bit like getting married (or was that just me )

J-J

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I sprinkle citronella neat onto a couple of sheets of newspaper in the poo tray (the whole thing tips neatly into the compost bin and doesn't often need cleaning that way ).

 

I've never put citronella direct onto the bedding tbh. I did use Hemcore which has it added but now use Easibed (it's much cheaper).

 

I know some people spray a j-cloth or similar with diluted citronella and/or tea tree oil and hang it in the run or tuck it under Omlet sun shade. I would probably dilute it before sprinkling on bedding - it'll go further that way .