Chicken bald back

[patsylabrador]

Hello,

I've been reading all your posts and have now got courage to join in. I have learnt so much from the various threads. We have 3 bantams which look very much like Sussex Stars, ie a bit like seagulls. They're not laying but I'm content to wait until the spring. As many people have said, I've grown fond of them quite quickly, they are very silly. They are called Persephone, Ariadne and Hermione. My daughter says they are my war babies as I always seem to get new pets when my son goes to places hot and horrid.

Quick question - I think I read that someone puts down sand in their run and that helps keep general smell down. It's not too bad but I'm aware of a smell that wasn't there before all the rain. I rake out their run every day and it's fairly dry. I live close to tube line so get loads of very brave foxes and so free range isn't really an option - I am at the 'we'll see' stage of negotiations for big WIR.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Hello Patsylabrador *waves*

 

I've no experience of sand in a run, I imagine it would make the rainwater drain away...........a week or so ago there was a thread about the pros & cons of various sands...I'll try & find it for you.....

 

Here's one...viewtopic.php?f=4&t=54117&p=812009&hilit=sand#p812009

 

...........and another.........viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12765&p=246292&hilit=sand+in+walk+in+run#p246292

 

If you go onto the Eglus Cubes & Runs section, you'll find lots of threads on run materials and their various pros & cons.

 

Sha x

[sjp]

unless you use sharp sand then it'll hold water just as mush as soil sharpsand will hold water but takes a bit longer to get sodden. sand's probably alright in dry weather or undercover in the dust bath but not in an open run

I've got wood chips down they've got soaked this last few days and don't smell the best but they are due to be changed any way aleast with woodchips i can use them for mulch

[Plum]

Hello welcome to you and your war babes, they are great stress relief so good idea

 

Sorry not had any experience with sand.

[Space Chick]

Have no advice as have not used sand, but just wanted to say Welcome to the Forum.

[Chick-a-doodle-doo]

Hi and welcome, I am a newby too but have have found everyone fantastically friendly.

[Valkyrie]

Hello to you newbies too!

My run is on soil, but I put down garden lime over the area, on top of that I put Stalosan - a pink disinfectant powder which neutralises pongs and a multitude of other nasties. On that I put Aubiose - which is shredded hemp that you can get from horsey shops. (A bale is heavy and I can't see you struggling along with that on the tube!). I also have lots of plastic around the run so that they are sheltered from wind and rain, and the roof is corrugated plastic. The aubiose absorbs moisture and also dries out quickly. They get cleaned out when I think it looks as though it needs it - they don't spend much time in there as they are too busy digging up my garden elsewhere! Spoilt they are! There are tons of other things that people use - I started off with a shelf and now my chicken bits have a huge cupboard and taking over the shed at the end of the garden!

 

Glad you are enjoying your birdies too.

[BeckyBoo]

Hi there, welcome to the forum, glad you plucked up courage to join in. Hope your son isn't anywhere too horrid, but at least your chooks should keep you occupied!

 

BeckyBoo

[Chicken Shirl]

Hello, welcome to the forum. My chooks are free range so I no nothing about the virtues of sand. Just glad you joined in and are enjoying your hens.

[Mrs Frugal]

Hello and welcome .

 

We used sand in our run for a couple of years and it worked very well. The area didn't drain very well so got waterlogged easily. Adding lots of gravel and a nice thick layer of sand on top of that certainly helped but we've now made them a covered walk in run instead which is an awful lot better. The sand is easy to keep clean though because it acts rather like cat litter and the droppings clump together, making them very easy to scoop up.

[patsylabrador]

Thankyou for greetings and advice. I put some sand in which was appararently very confusing and am going to get woodchips.