2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Cinnamon]

I am seriously considering hoiking out all my soil & Aubiose mix,& concreting the base instead,then adding deep Aubiose to that once its gone off.

 

It will need a LOT of shuffling about (luckily I have a spare Eglu & run),but on the plus side Hubby is in the building trade & loves doing this sort of thing,so it will get done well & soon

 

has anyone else done this - any tips & hints for me?

[the-real-tinkerbell]

i have slabs not concrete but i can tell you that i find it so much easier one of my wirs is on soil and its much harder to clean ,my slabbed one i just sweep out once a month simples

[Cinnamon]

so,what do you do about a dust bath area?

Mine will be in the run all the time - I tried using a Belfast sink as a dust bath before,& they just perched on the edge & pooed into it

 

Should we leave an area concrete free for this purpose?

[MadAboutChooks]

I have a WIR with a concrete base. Regarding the dust bath, I have an eglu table which I got with my WIR (about a metre sq) and I have a wooden frame sat on there for them to dust bath in (bathroom upstairs ) and they seem to love it it also gives them more ground space and saves the soil mixing with the bedding

[Cinnamon]

Can't picture it Madaboutchooks - any chance of a photo?

[the-real-tinkerbell]

i have 2 old car tyres (free from my local garage ) filled with soil sand and diatom

[MadAboutChooks]

Hi Cinnamon, will try to get a photo of my uptairs dustroom tomorrow!

[Heidi-Hi]

Hi Cinnamon, I am curious to why you want to change over from soil? Is it because of your earlier worms post?

[Cinnamon]

That is part of it - a niggling worry that the soil may be harbouring some nasties.

 

Also its a struggle the get the Hubby to clear out the run,so if its concreted it might be lighter work,maybe.

 

Thirdly,it tends to get puddles,as we have a high water table,so this might stop that from happening.

[Heidi-Hi]

I can see the advantages of concrete, but I struggle with the 'unatural' aspect of it. Mind you, we always worry about foxes and rats digging in, but blimey, my lot are digging and scratching themselves out! I have to go in every now and then and level things out a bit, as they seem to love digging right next the sides of the WIR. They are so naughty. Oh, I don't know. Good luck with which ever decision you are making. Seems like I am one of a dying trade of bare soil

[Cinnamon]

I must admit that I like them being on soil too, as it does seem more natural, but after 4 years I do wonder if its more compacted poo than soil really

 

We have a brick surround & a concrete foundation,so no chance of anything digging in,but you are right about the hens love of digging deep holes & trenches

[MadAboutChooks]

Hi There, sorry its been a while for the photo's of my upstairs bathing area here goes, as you can see you just can never have a big enough bathroom!!

[Mercedes55]

That's a great idea

[Cinnamon]

Very good!

 

As it happens,Hubby dug out the pen & laid down all the powders & so forth,& re Aubiosed it while I was out last weekend,so I may think about a solid floor later on when it needs clearing out again.