Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[nicholacl]

We are lucky enough to have found a yard that has a huge pile of wood chippings we can use when ever we want, for free!! Husband is very happy with this, but we don't know which end of the pile will be better to use the fresh cut wood or the wood that has been sitting for some time further along the pile?! Does anyone have any ideas?? We are virgins when it comes to keeping chickens, we pick up our first four ladies (yellow millefleur sablepoot bantums or dutch booted) on the 2nd October after our holiday and can't wait

 

[Lavenders_Blue]

I shouldn't think it will make any difference. I had a pile of freshly chipped wood from a tree surgeon a while back and it smelt heavenly - just like a forest! The chooks soon sorted that out by pooping all over it

[Trougher]

We were lucky enough to acquire a few bags of free woodchips; they are not that fresh, so can't speak from specific experience, but I would have thought fresh would be good. However, in the very wet weather we have had recently, I have found that they are very waterlogged (even though the run is covered), and not drying out, so I have temporarily switched to using straw in the covered run (it's based on concrete), which although it gets damp, dries out quicker. I remember Alys Fowler on her recent TV series suggested using grass clippings as something for them to scratch around in, but I haven't tried it as I thought they would get very soggy and slimy in wet weather.

 

Lynne

[nicholacl]

Thank you for the responses so far, we may try a little of each one for the fresh smell and the other for bulking out. Oh and rain what rain we haven't had any for a while my water butt is half empty!!

[Plum]

Be lots of insects for them in either. Sorry that doesn't help