Solving Omlet Smart Auto Door Timing Issues with Alexa Routines

[Fablabmum43]

We have some young birds which appear to have contracted coccoidosis. We have an Eglu cube kept on bark. The birds are allowed to free range when we are around.

I am very frustrated as we are meticulous in keeping the house/ feeders and drinkers clean. But in wet weather the bark gets very damp (we live in Wales) and I understand that these are ideal conditions for coccoid to thrive in.

We only have a small garden so I am unable to move the cube around. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can manage this problem.

I will be treating all of the birds, will remove the bark, treat the ground and put down new bark. But how can I minimise the risk of this happening again?

[Egluntyne]

Instead of bark, why not use Aubiose? Thee are umpteen threads about it. You will need to put a cover on the run, and ideally, place the Eglu and run on paving slabs. Many of us find that this works very well.

[Fablabmum43]

So, do you have a shallow layer of aubiose on the paving slabs? My husband will be horrified after having dug out an area with the idea of improving drainage!!!

[Egluntyne]

That's right. A couple of cms deep and change it every month or so.

[Plum]

Once they recover from this bout of coccidiosis they'll have an immunity to this particular type but may contract it again if they meet another type.

 

Last winter I had clear plastic shower curtains over the run and used either woodchip, hemcore or easibed with plastic lawn edging tied to the bottom of the run walls to keep it in. It stayed really dry most of the time and I poo picked each day to keep it clean. For some strange reason I enjoy doing it.

[MissPug+Chooks]

Is it a definate that Chickens will pick up cocci if on bark chips? My two have been on the same lot for about a month now; its looking quite old and we are changing it this weekend - am I better off buying some easibed instead tomorrow then if so how many bales are we talking?! I assume this will need to be kept dry all of time (from experience with my horse!) I don't particularly want shower curtains hanging around my garden though!

[Plum]

Coccidia isn't associated with bark. It's passed on between chickens sometimes on shoes or with new chickens using any kind of run material. Some are vaccinated against it and most flocks have one of the five types present and the chickens acquire immunity as they grow up. Others are vulnerable through no exposure and breeders often give coccidiastats in feed which help to build up immunity.

 

If bark works for you stick with it just keep an eye out for mould which is said to be detrimental to their health. If you don't want to cover the run then an alternative which may last better is woodchip. I've used the playground woodchip from B&Q which is a bit more foregiving than the hardwood woodchip.

Edited October 10, 2010 by Guest

[enpekt]

Our walk in run is built on a slabbed area and covered with a 50mm layer of Bedmax, horse bedding. Poo picked several times a day. Then every 3 weeks, stripped, floor s"Ooops, word censored!"ed, disinfected with Virkon (defra recommended) and sprinkled with Stalosan. New Bedmax put on top. In between time, Stalosan sprinkled on top of Bedmax every few days. Important to get a cover over the run to keep dry as coccidiosis breeds on damp litter.

 

PeckyBeak is meticulous about collecting poo from the area, indeed the whole garden, minimum twice a day, as the hens free-range even in wet weather.

 

In the cubes and eglu she uses Hemcore (Auboise equivalent) on newspaper to aid cleaning of the poo trays.

 

Although we thought we might have had a coccidiosis incident, poo tests have shown this isn't the case.

To me this shows that Pecky's cleaning routine is effective.

Has anyone read the ridiculous Which? report on henkeeping?

[Plum]

I kept my run exactly as yours enpekt but still lost a hen to coccidiosis when my new ones arrived (and in quarantine)

How do you access the Which? report?

[Fablabmum43]

Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions!

 

I have to say, I feel that the guidance given by Omlet on the keeping of chickens on bark is a little misleading. As a novice chicken keeper I was unaware of this problem. I certainly didn't know of the need to keep the run dry. I had been replacing soiled bark and keeping the cube scrupulously clean. Trouble was, part of the cube was resting on slabs which I hosed off into the bark daily!!!!! This obviously meant that the bark got really soggy........... I was blissfully unaware that this presented a hazard.

 

Fortunately my girls seem to be making a rapid recovery and we have new plans for the run. I just hope that Omlet will expand their guidance on keeping eglus on bark so that other novices do not fall into the same trap.

[enpekt]

@ Fablabmum - Glad the're picking up!

 

@ Plum. I don't want to hijack this topic, so will create another in the Chicken Section with a LINK from here...

[chickencam]

I have kept my girls on bark for the past 3.5 years without a problem. I do have the runs largely covered, but water does get in. I have found that it sets up it's own eco-system after a few weeks and the poos just disappear. we just take out any compacted bark every month or so and add some fresh. We got our best potatoes ever by adding some partially composted chicken run bark to the bottom of the trenches in the spring.

 

We do have a thick layer 6-8 inches on soil so there are a fair few earth worms in there too dispiet the chickens munching on them, it always amazes me when I find them when forking out old bark. the bark doen't smell either.

 

I know that it would be a problem if the girls did contract something nasty, but I would probably just dig the whole lot out and start afresh.

[Fablabmum43]

That's very interesting!

I must say the bark does not smell or appear unpleasant. Maybe my main problem was not covering the run to protect it from excessive rain. Also, hosing into the bark daily probably didn't help much

We've decided to try them on the little grass we have, at least for a while, moving the house every week and poo picking twice daily

Maybe we were just unlucky...............I may try the bark one more time but perhaps using a slightly different approach!

[Calamity Jane]

Can someone explain to me (i am a bit dim) how can I poo pick my extended eglu run ? It sits on a patio and I have put heavy slabs round the edges. In the run is a good layer of bark and the run is covered with corrugated plastic sheets. I try to rake the bark over and sprinkle it with stalosan every couple of weeks, but I need to take the roof off to do this and it is not easy to do on your own. The bark has been down for a month now I hope to be replacing it soon.

I would really like to have a WIR and be able to manage the poo better but I dont think it will happen now till next year. I take it that you all have either WIR's or Cubes ? Or else you are midgets and can fit inside the little run door

[chickencam]

We don't poo pick our bark.We also have a classic with a run extension and we have had 4 hens in there. We just lifeted the whole thing off every 6 weeks of so and lifted any compacted areas and removed a couple of bags worth of bark dug it over and then added 2 more bags of fresh bark. Since we have only had 2 hens in there we have just raked out any compacted bits and thrown in a new bag, they dig it over a lot themselves and so it stays pretty loose and clean.

[Redwing]

Hardwood chips are better than bark

 

I hesitate to say it lest I get a hundred tons of disapproval from other forum members but my roofed walk in run was built in March 09 and I filled it about four inches deep in woodchip and the same woodchip is still in there 18 months on - it doesnt smell and still looks good!

[Plum]

Not at all Tasha. Although I go for the over the top cleaning I have come to realise that chickens need (if not vaccinated) exposure to organisms to gain and maintain immunity, like us really. My two last year girls weren't vaccinated and were kept in a 'clean' run, hence probably why I lost Motmot to coccidiosis.

 

There is a theory that if you use Tasha's method, after a time bacteria build up that keep the run healthy and in balance but you need to take care as there is a point during the process where ammonia can be a problem before it reaches that state of equilibrium. Sorry I can't remember where I read this but will post it if I come across it again.

[Fablabmum43]

Goodness me, I am getting a little confused

 

I guess there are many ways to "skin the cat" so to speak and I suppose you have to find what works for you.

 

I don't much like the idea of having to regularly buy in Aubiose.....we're on a tight budget as it is

I had avoided woodchip as it seemed to be expensive but if it lasts and does not necessarily need regular replacement then it could be an attractive option. Do you poo pick the woodchip? I still think my main problem was that the run got so wet as I did not cover it against the weather.

 

I like the idea of the birds building up natural immunity in response to exposure to various bugs........I guess if they are well fed and kept clean they are more likely to be able to fight illness (just like people).

 

Any comments would be welcome

[Fablabmum43]

Redwing - may I ask what type of wood chips you used....size, grade etc. The choice seems endless! Also, how do you manage them.....do you poo pick or any thing like that or do you just let it all "compost-in" as some have suggested

[The Dogmother]

I never poo-pick either - I sprinkle some BioDri or Ground Sanitising Powder down and top up the Aubiose every now and then, but it all gets raked out every 6-8 weeks and replaced.

 

Life is too short

[Happy chickens!]

I think it makes a difference if the bedding is dry or not - I have noticed at a friend's that uncovered woodchips often get smelly, but mine in the covered wir don't seem to and the droppings generally disappear pretty quickly. I do use stalosan/lime to kill a few bugs from time to time!

[Redwing]

Redwing - may I ask what type of wood chips you used....size, grade etc. The choice seems endless! Also, how do you manage them.....do you poo pick or any thing like that or do you just let it all "compost-in" as some have suggested

 

I used B&Q Natural hard wood chips

 

I dont poo pick but I do add a few buckets of Aubiose every now and again to soak up any damp

 

That Aubiose sinks to the bottom after a couple of months and I s"Ooops, word censored!"e the woodchips back and remove any aubiose residue when I feel the urge but I dont take any woodchip out

 

the run is roofed and sheltered at the back with a tarpaulin and also sheltered to some extent on all sides - that really helps

[balti]

I have recently dug out all of my bark and replaced with bedmax horse bedding - the large variety. Cant really say

if its a better plan as only been down a month. I have a sad story..... totally blame myself. We had a large WIR for

a year at previous address - never really replaced the bark - just moved it about a bit - they spend quite a bit of time

in the garden out of run. When we moved they lived in the cube and added an extention to it so spent time in a smaller

place but again free roamed alot. The bark always looked ok to me but noticed egg production going down from

about june. Chicks all looked fine ( 4 of them ) i assumed they were slowing down as about 3 years of age. started

getting soft ones so i added more grit.... then i noticed one of them lossing feather on chest and bum red and loss

of feather - but chicken seemed ok. i thought he was getting bullied.... all chickens were eating and drinking

well. Then i noticed another started losing feathers on bum and bit red.... i cleaned out the house weekly so never

saw any mites... THEN one day i noticed chicken running up garden with another pecking its bum and that chicken

was bleeding. I took her to the vets with another 2 that i could catch and conclusion was the ammonia from the

chickens was burning them. I was devasted, felt terrible. By now that chicken has to be put out of her misery. I should have known but it all looked ok. Never had this trouble before. I spent about 5 hours in total diggin it all out with

a bucket - was suprising how much was in there - went down about a foot as well. And filled with bedmax and I move

it all around every weekend and will be replacing some soon. Then over last 3 days i noticed another chicken not

doing so well. she was puffing up , off her food then eating a bit, sitting under the hedge sleeping..... Last night

she took her self back to bed and I phoned the vets. Booked her in for 9am this morning. She was dying on the

way and had to be put down on arrival. I am waiting for the vet to call back today to tell me what she died of. I am so devasted. Her crop had started going white but She did seem to

be quite slim so seems not eating properly for a while. Something that i just had not noticed. I shall be taking the

other 2 in on monday to be looked at. Vet just called and she believes its coccidiosis, but not 100%. So will be

treating the other 2. This must all stem back to the chips - I feel bloody awfull. So let my experience be a warning

to you all if thinking about wood chips.. It is all my fault - I should have replaced the chips but never had done before and the summer was hot - they were dry and not smell and it didnt look bad either......... But once i was in the cube digging I could smell it.

[Fablabmum43]

Balti - I'm so sorry to hear your sad story . It's all too easy to blame yourself on these occasions but I can certainly see why you assumed all was OK. Thanks for posting - it has given me more food for thought.

 

I must admit I'm struggling to think of the best solution to the problem. I'm now beginning to think that paving slabs topped with aubiose might be best. Then I can change it regularly and disinfect the area..... I'm begining to think better safe than sorry .

[chickanne]

I have just blagged some tent material to cover their run. (never seen shower curtain with chickens on.... )

I hand been thinking more along the lines of making a dry space for a dust bath.

 

Just ask around - someone you know may have trashed a tent at Glastonbury or similar!!