Solitary chicken - need advice

[jan_novice_chicken_keeper]

Hi all,

 

Not long to go until eglu and chickens arrive, and I'm trying to make sure I'm ready for them. Thanks to all those who helped with the question of whether to have 2 or 3, DH has changed the order to 3 chickens - one of each plus a lucky dip - so even though he let the cat out of the bag there is still a bit of a surprise. I'm sooooooooo excited!!!

 

I'm trying to find a local supplier of Hemcore/Aubiose for the run, but what do I put in the nesting box? More of the same? Straw? Something I can't quite imagine? Sorry to ask yet another daft question......

 

Thanks,

 

Jan

[Christian]

Hi Jan and congratulations!

 

We just put aubiose in the nest box, that way if they poo in it, you can just scoop it out. We used to use straw (hay contains moult spores and shouldn't be used) but it gets mucky.

 

All the best.

[Snowy]

Great news Jan!

 

Shredded paper in the nest box for me. Cheap, recycled and goes in the compost afterwards.

[buffie]

I line ours and the litter tray with newspaper, absorbant and easy to remove poop.

 

BBx

[Rhapsody]

I use Bedmax in the run and in the nesting box, the girls seem to like it.

[Laura & CTB]

Hi Jan

 

I'm in Crawley too

 

I get Aubiose from:

 

Ifield Park

Bonnetts Lane

Ifield

Crawley

West Sussex RH11 0NY

 

They also do chicken feed and a few other bits.

 

I use aubiose in the nest topped with a little straw - then just change the straw every day.

[Cinnamon]

I use Aubioses in the nesting box.

Its easy to pick out any poo,nice & absorbant & really convenient to use.

 

I have tried straw (got too wet) & shredded paper (they ate it )

Aubiose is by FAR the best

[Tina C]

My ex-batts, who don't have an eglu , sleep in the nest boxes so they have aubiose, then newspaper, then straw. Every morning I pull out the newspaper and tip the straw and poo into a bucket. Then I replace/refrresh the newspaper and pull the straw back out of the bucket (the poo gets left behind) or refresh it if necessary.

 

The eglu girls have aubiose in the poo try and straw in the nest box.

 

I used to use shredded paper in the nest boxes but the ex-batts ate it and when it was windy it blew out of the eglu. Straw in and around the run is not as unsightly as shredded paper.

[jan_novice_chicken_keeper]

I'm in Crawley too

 

I get Aubiose from:

 

Ifield Park

Bonnetts Lane

Ifield

Crawley

West Sussex RH11 0NY

 

 

Thanks Laura - I know where this is, and was wondering if it was my best bet to try here for bedding etc. Great!

 

Thanks to everyone for the replies - I'll see what the girls like! But I'll start with just aubiose or aubiose and straw.

 

Jan

[The Dogmother]

Glad to hear you've found something Jan. The only thing I would point out when using straw is that while the top of the straw can look fresh, it has a sneaky way of being damp underneath, which can encourage mould, I can't be sure whether this is linked, but my girls suffered from more resp infections when I used straw. I have tried every option and found Hemcore/Aubiose to be the best, but that's just personal opinion.