Chicken bald back

[cluckingmad]

Hi All,

 

OK, finances now ridiculously tight and although I want my girls to have nothing best the best and comfiest flooring to the WIR we're finding Aubiose a bit expensive at the moment (we pay £10 for a bale here and get 4 in one go as our nearest supplier is almost an hour away)...

 

Don't want to go down the straw route, although am thinking of putting a bale in for them to play with/on/in, but wondered if bog standard wood shavings would be ok?

 

All suggestions gratefully recieved!

[Redwing]

Bedmax wood shavings are great big flakes and are super but your run will need to be super sheltered, Bedmax is cheaper than normal wood shavings at about £6 a bale but is better than the fine shavings for an outside run

 

I am currently trying Softbed which is like a cross between chopped straw and Aubiose, its not quite as absorbant as Aubiose but is a pretty good low cost substitute, again a bale is about £6

[Gelbel]

I've recently changed to Easibed - I paid £8 but I am sure I can get it cheaper if I go to a proper horse-stuff supplier rather than the general animal place I popped into when driving past.

 

I noticed that, over the weekend, B&Q had an offer on chippings. Could not tell you what it was though.

[Jools]

I've been using Easibed in my aviary because I get through so much of it. It seems to be stocked by most feed merchants and it's a lot less expensive that Aubiose. I don't think it's quite as good and I still use Aubiose in the actual houses themselves, but needs must.

 

Whoops, cross posted! Well that's two votes for Easibed.

[chelsea]

We used Elephant grass a few months ago it was half the price as the Aubiose, I do prefer Aubiose but if needs must I would definitely use it again if purse strings were tight. It came in bales exactly the same as Aubiose and I got it from our farm supplies store.

[sjp]

I use Bliss put your post code in and it will give yoor nearist stockist

http://www.blissbedding.com/

[Dappy Chick]

I have got gravel in my WIR. Easy to keep clean and do not need to keep replacing.

 

I have also tried rubber chippings which were great but my run is on a slope so not ideal under those circumstances, but would be great on flat ground with boards to keep the chippings in.

[BeckyBoo]

As my purse got emptier I went from Aubiose (£10 a bale) via various versions of the above, am currently on Dixons Dustless at £5.95 a bale but have come up from straw at £3 a bale - which was very very cheap, but I went through a lot of it as it needed changing every day. That said, I may end up on it again as I'm not that impressed with the Dixons in the nest - it's ok in the trays and on the ground but mine ALL poo in the nest at the minute and then sit in it!!

 

Aubiose is the best I reckon and I have to say it probably works out as cheap as Dixons as you use so much less. Yet another dilemma - £10 in one hit for really good stuff, or £3 a bale for cheap stuff that's more work?

 

BeckyBoo

[cluckingmad]

lol, thanks all If soemone had told me a year ago that I'd be stressing over what bedding to buy for my chooks I'd probably have told them they were mad

 

Went with Easy Bed in the end - worked out a t £7 a bale which should save us a few pennies in the run up to weddings/christmas/honeymoon

 

Cx

[dancing cloud]

My spoilt little madams get shredded paper in their nestboxes (with a sheet of newspaper over the hole to stop it all falling through). It's just ordinary shreds, not cross-shredded, so they can make their own little nests in it and I turn it over in the morning so they don't lay their eggs on the poo-ey bits ! I tried composting it, but it didn't rot down very quickly, so gave up on that idea and dispose of it in the black bin bag.

 

They get a sprinkling of aubiose in the trays and have the garden to play in all day, so get nothing in their run. I used to put aubiose or easibed in only to find the cats used it as a litter tray

 

Paper in the nestboxes may be worth a try if cutbacks are needed and you know someone who works in an office, and my little lot seem perfectly happy with it. Best part about using shredded paper is that it's totally free (work are very happy for me to take it away for them) and it also gets the shreddings recycled at least once

[cluckingmad]

must admit the girls do get shredded paper in their nest boxes too

[sandyhas3chucks]

Becks how dust less is it really? I find even auboise has some dust(ask cos my wheezy girl)

I got a flax bedding from Rokers or Fosburyys, plain bag, very fine, was cheaper and softer and super absorbent, perfect for poo picking mucjky nest boxes. Just felt too dust for wheezer. Don't like paper as it stays wet and cold on top, where the others stay dry.

currently using Auboise with "chopped" straw on top, because they love it, but a bit does get chucked daily. chopping it means less tipped. give the kids big scissors in front of tv

[BeckyBoo]

I don't think it's too dusty, I can let you have a bag full if you like, save buying a whole bale if you then don't like it?

 

BeckyBoo

[sandyhas3chucks]

oh good idea, why didn't I think of that I have some flax you can try too

ps your neighbour is pretty amazing, still imressed!