Installing Indoor Cat Tree

[Duncanally]

We now have woodchip down for the chickens because the lawn was being destroyed.

How often should we change the woodchip

[Christian]

When we first got our chooks, we changed the bark every 6-8 weeks, but now we use aubiose and it gets changed every 3 months or so. It just doesn't seem to get dirty and 'clumpy' like the bark did

Edited February 4, 2007 by Guest

[Martin B]

We now have woodchip down for the chickens because the lawn was being destroyed.

How often should we change the woodchip

 

We haven't changed it since we got them! They've dug up all the woodchips and buried them under soil. They love it because there are loads of bugs.

[hillfamily]

our girl's run stands on woodchip and we lift the eglu and run about every 6 months turn it all over and top it up a little bit.

 

Our girls are able to freerange for most of the day so they're not in the run all the time (only when we're all out) so it dosen't get dirty that quickly

[Guest]

As lomg as it's WOODchips and not BARKchips, they should last a long time, just give them a rake over every so often, and you'll be amazed at how long they last!

[JellyB]

Why should it be woodchips and not bark chips? I'm confused. I have bark chips on one of my borders and my girls love scratching around to find bugs so I'd thought of putting it in the run, but just hadn't got round to it yet so any advice would be appreciated.

[Cinnamon]

Mine are on chipped bark - the stuff that people use on their borders to keep weeds down.3

I use a mini size,as I reckon it is easier for the hens to kick about.

 

To date I have never changed it ,but just replenished it every few months.

My hens are in a big pen with the Eglu on a raised platform,& like Martin says they bury the bark in loose soil & have a jolly old time digging it about.

There is no smell & no visible poo either

 

I intend to give it a good spring clean later in the year, & will probably take a lot of it out & replace it then.

[Trish]

There were questiones raised at one point about bark chip and moulds that could cause breathing problems for chooks but I think it may have been more in the case of birds kept indoors on bark. I'm on a mix of Aubiose and wood chip as mine seem to be able to the aubiose into a soild pancake in about 24 hours. The wood chip lumps seem to help keep it more broken up

[The Dogmother]

I found both wood chip and bark to get too damp, but Aubiose/Hemcore is just fine and I change it every 2-3 months depending on how dirty it is (it really doesn't get soiled at all)

[craftyhunnypie]

Mine are on bark chips in the run - and we top it up about every 2 weeks and change it totally about every 6 - 8 weeks as it gets so compacted! I think I'll try that Aubiose stuff - what is it like???? Is it like Hamster bedding? No idea where I'd get it from - maybe a saddlery?

[Mel (& Paul)]

Yes, its used a lot as horse bedding, so a tack shop / saddlery would be a good place to look or any country store - not sure if Scats or similar would do it. I keep on meaning to get some, but keep on forgetting

[The Dogmother]

You can get it or order it from most feed suppliers/horsey shops. It comes in massive bales that cost about £6.95 and last ages.

 

As it's shredded hemp, it is much more enviornmentally sound and composts like a dream.

[CannyCat]

I found both wood chip and bark to get too damp, but Aubiose/Hemcore is just fine and I change it every 2-3 months depending on how dirty it is (it really doesn't get soiled at all)

 

I change mine weekly but they spend all day in the run, because I work.

[The Dogmother]

Mine freerange while I'm at work, so they're not in the run all the time.

[Tricky]

I use the childrens play area bark, it's softer and the girls love scratching through it. As well as topping up, I remove the eglu every so often and dig the site over before making it all up again.

The girls love to help me as the area underneath is usually full of juicy worms.

you can dig in some garden lime too which freshens it all up