Sarah 2 Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Trying to get round to putting my girls onto bark chippings. Need some assitance to get my husband off the sofa to help. But am I making a mistake? There seems to be a lot of talk about aubiose and hemcore. What is it? Should I be using it? And where can I buy citronella oil from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dippy Egg Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 There are a lot of threads about Aubiose and Hemcore on the site (try doing a search and you will find plenty) I chose Hemcore as it contains Citronella but as I am only a novice so I don`t know how it will be. I have laid it in my run and covered the run with a plastic shower curtain to keep it dry. Apparently it is very moisture retentive and the Citronella helps deter flies etc. I looked up my local stockist on the Hemcore website. A large bale cost less than £7.00 and it is wrapped in a plastic outer which makes it user friendly if you are going to only need a little at a time. I do have bark (chunky play size) around my run but thought it would take too long to rot down in my compost bin if I used it inside the run. Hope this helps a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I started off with bark chips, but they became muddy and mulchy far too quick. So I now use easy bed - bought from a horsey place. Excellent stuff and a bag / bale does me 4 run clean outs! I clean the run out totally about once a month. More if it gets too compacted. It's nice and clean looking for ages & the chooks love lying in it & chucking it all over their backs! I've made a skirt for my run to prevent them chucking outside of the run, but you can easily brush & shovel it up and chuck it back in for them. The very first few months of me having the chooks ( last year), I had them on bark chips from Focus DIY. They were awfullly wet. The better bark chips were from Lidl - believe it or not! But I'd go for easy bed, Aubiose or Hemcore if you can! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Citronella oil £3.95 inc postage for a large bottle at http://www.neph-aromatics.co.uk/special_offers.htm It's an irritant so dont get too much on your skin - but it smells great and keeps flies away. I drip 6-8 drips on the roosting bars and poo trays and it really works. Works in the house too but smells very strong. If your outside having a BBQ drip a few drips on a nightlight/tealight inside a jam jar so it wont blow out and that will keep flies away from your table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy C Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 We started with bark, but it got all wet and slimy. Now we use hard wood chippings (from B&Q at the moment) and they seem to be working fine. Since we have been adding 5 dried garlic pieces to each glug the smell of the poo has reduced and so have the flies. (The girls do love chasing the remaining flies though.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah 2 Posted June 19, 2007 Author Share Posted June 19, 2007 Right, I think I'm going to try hemcore or ambiose. Which is best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Right, I think I'm going to try hemcore or ambiose. Which is best? There is very little difference. Hemcore is slightly chunkier and scented with citronella, that's all. Both very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnrob Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Since we have been adding 5 dried garlic pieces to each glug the smell of the poo has reduced and so have the flies. I've tried adding a fresh garlic clove to our Glug. Each day we've come home to find it either flung out on the floor or disappeared completely - presumably eaten(!) Do they get on better with dried garlic do you think? Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I started mixing dried garlic in with their pellets, but they ate around it. Bought a large tub of garlic powder (from a horsey shop) but the smell is unbearable! I love garlic, but even I can't mix it in with their pellets! I tried putting cloves in their water but Babs ate it all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Sarah, My local horsey shop sells Auboise and Hemcore. I'm still ploughing my way through bale one and I decided to buy Auboise which I just use in the poo tray and nest box. It is great stuff - but I might give Hemcore a go next. Although when I asked in the shop if Hemcore had citronella in it, they looked at me as if I was mad and said they didn't have a clue....! Chris & Rob, Last week, after reading posts on here extolling the virtues of garlic, I bought a 500g plastic tub of NAF Garlic Powder (for horses) from the same horsey shop. It cost £4.95. I am playing around with quantities in their drinking water. First day the wouldn't touch it and chose dirty water around the garden. Now I put in a minute amount with the water. It stinks, but the chickens now drink their garlic water. I'm not sure yet if it works and their poo smells less or am I just thinking that it does because I'm using this stuff. Not sure, the jury is still out on this one....but I will plough my way through the tub anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnrob Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Thanks for the garlic info. Will hold fire for a while and see how others get on Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah 2 Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 Thanks for the photo. I'm trying the chickens on very smelly bark chippings at the moment. But I think I might get some hemcore for they're nesting box and poo tray. Then use it in there run. I noticed on the hemcore website it says to wet it. Do you have to do that for chickens? I thought it was supposed to be easy chicken keeping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 I dont wet it - I just sprinkle it in the poo tray, on the nest bit and on the roosting bars. It absorbs all the poo etc and makes it much easier to dispose of - It makes good compost too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Some types of hemcore do have citronella added to keep flies off, but it must be in very small quantities, because it's almost undetectable! I add a few drops of citronella and eucalyptus oils myself. No flies here. I mix garlic flakes into my chooks' pellets, they eat most of it and their poo definitely seems to smell less. You can also add it to some pellets/mash, oats, bran, olive oil and citricidal, mix it with water to make a porridge and watch them wolf it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 I got my citronella from the company on Jaime's link. It arrived the next day & I put a few drops on some kitchen roll under the shade, & also some eucalytus oil. I also dribble it on the roosting bars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah 2 Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 I've just ordered my citrionella so good bye flies. Does anyone know if I can order hemcore on internet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dippy Egg Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I found some Hemcore on Ebay. The lady selling it was a tortoise keeper but I don`t think she sells bales, just small amounts. Might be worth a search if you just wanted to try a little but remember a whole bale is less than £7.00 from a dealer via the Hemcore website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellekatz Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 You can get it from here : http://www.foranimals.co.uk/catalogue/288 which is auboise, or here: http://www.gjwtitmussshop.co.uk/acatalog/HORSE_BEDDING.html where they do both hemcore and auboise. Watch for delivery charges though - they nearly double the price!!! Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Most feed suppliers and horsey places sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 auboise is it any good with g/pigs?? and how tolarent of out side weather is it??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah 2 Posted June 25, 2007 Author Share Posted June 25, 2007 The g/pig thing I'm not sure about. But a lot of people on here seem to swear by hemcore and amboise. I haven't used it yet myself. But plan to once I've used the bark chippings. I think most people who use tend to keep their run covered with a shower curtain. But if you go on the hemcore website it does say to wet it first anyway. So if it does get wet I imagine it becomes like a cake. I sure you'll get advice from someone whoes used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 I started mixing dried garlic in with their pellets, but they ate around it. Bought a large tub of garlic powder (from a horsey shop) but the smell is unbearable! I love garlic, but even I can't mix it in with their pellets! I tried putting cloves in their water but Babs ate it all! I don't know what the horsey garlic is / where I would get it. Could you use garlic powder used in cooking? I do like the idea of using fresh garlic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
