Poorly chicken

[hammy72]

My chickens have woodchip in their run. What should I be doing to keep the woodchip hygienic? Can I sprinkle in some aubiose. Also, do I need to put in some anti-mite powder and is there anything that will make it smell fresher? I don't mind buying new woodchip fairly regularly as they are in their run during the day when I am at work but when I ordered it from Flytes of Fancy the postage charge was more that the product.

[percy049]

I think there is some sort of powder sanitiser that you can use, but im not sure if you can keep chickens on it with the cleaner.

Im sure someone will be along soon to help

[Tweety]

I have wood chip too, and sprinkle it with Biodri now and again to do the job. There is also a product called Ground Sanitising Powder made by Nettex which you can get from FOF.

[squiffs]

My chickens have woodchip in their run. What should I be doing to keep the woodchip hygienic? Can I sprinkle in some aubiose. Also, do I need to put in some anti-mite powder and is there anything that will make it smell fresher? I don't mind buying new woodchip fairly regularly as they are in their run during the day when I am at work but when I ordered it from Flytes of Fancy the postage charge was more that the product.

 

 

flyte so fancy postage is ridiculous - try B&Q or any local tree surgeons/gardeners. I buy mine from the local compost/recycling co-op at 4.95 a bag, minimum 5bag order but they deliver to my door for free

[C&T]

Try contacting local tree surgeons - they may well be very happy for you to take their woodchip off their hands for free, and no postage! Either that, or local DIY places often sell it - Wickes, B&Q etc - if you are able to collect it.

 

We use Stalosan F to santise the ground. If you put Auboise (or any horse bedding) you will need to cover the area to keep it dry. If does work really well - but only if protected from the rain!

[Henchanted]

Hi Hammy72

 

I use Aubiose inside the eglus and in the runs, as I can usually keep the rain off (if I know rain is forecast I will cover the runs....) works most of the time. You can get Aubiose from 'A Nicholls/Cowmills' (BS37 4AD) for £9.50 and mine lasts ages. I mix mine with a bit of Diatom and bokashi bran and I rake/poo pick the runs weekly. Or as C&T suggests woodchip can be sourced quite widely (though it ought to be hardwood chips to minimize mould growth)

 

I have just bought some Salostan F from 'Annie Halls Poultry' (BS16 9LT) she is selling it in 5kg portions. Apparently its safe to use around the birds and kills most nasties. When you are cleaning out you sprinkly about 50g per sq metre into the run and wait for the dust to settle (avoid inhaling it) then fill with your fresh run covering. I'm doing mine this weekend for the first time.

 

[LunaKiw1]

We use hardwood chips from B&Q and rake out daily then top up a bit weekly. On the weekly clean we sprinkle Stalosan freely over the chips - turns everything a bit pink! - which sanitises and doesn't harm the girls (they must consume a lot of it!). We get Stalosan from a local Countrywide store which selld chicken supplies amongst other things. The first time they didn't have any in stock but ordered some in for us and since then they always have a few in stock.

[SteveC]

You don't mention what is under the woodchip.

 

If it's soil, rake it over periodically and the poo disappears into the ground. Every so often, sterilise the ground using something like Stalosan F (just sprinkle it liberally around) which also neutralises any odour. You only need to replace the woodchip very infrequently then (I've read twice a year, annually or even less often than that on others posts).

 

If it's slabs, you'll need to rake it out and replace more often and give everything a good hose down.

 

Aubiose will soak up moisture and would make things a bit mushy after a while - I don't bother with it in the run (just the nestbox).

 

B&Q sell woodchip (hardwood or softwood) which is fine - I prefer the hardwood variety. Definately make sure you don't use bark as I've read it can be harmful (retaining moisture, harbouring mould).

 

Hope that helps!

[hammy72]

Thanks for all your advice. Have just read on the FOF website that the type I have bought only needs changing once or twice a year as it washes through with the rain. So my plan is to add in the sanitising powder and keep an eye that it stays clean and not too smelly. I don't mind buying a new bag perhaps once a quarter but as I said before a £15 delivery charge for a £9 bag of woodchip smarts a bit. The netted area that they will roam in is covered in bark chips which will take less of a pounding and of course is cheaper to buy in bulk.

 

I have also just remembered that my husband knows a tree surgeon so I am going to text him.

[Tweety]

As SteveC says, it is better not to use bark so ask the tree surgeon for hard or softwood chips.

[hammy72]

Steve C - thanks for the advice, it is on soil so will do the raking over as suggested. Our tree surgeon friend is coming to do some work for us so will ask him to woodchip our off cuts and then be cheeky and ask for an on-going supply so I can cover the whole roaming area with it (and avoid the bark)