How can I find my old pictures?

[Duncan08]

I spent about an hour yesterday putting together a chicken order to give them a good clean out going into summer, (thats a laugh isn't it!) Checked various sites, but it is a pain to find one that does everything. Anyway found one that did most things and added them all to the basket.

A nice little order, came to about £75.

 

Then I went to pay, a whopping £33 added for P&P, needless to say, I cancelled it.

 

I was after,

A red top fly trap

Hardwood chippings for the outdoor run

Auboise for inside the cube

Easibed for the WIR

Net-tex ground sanitiser

Diatom

Layers Pellets

 

So anyone recommend any websites that sell all/most of these things that don't charge the earth to get them to you?

[lillybettybabs]

just shop about, Some things you will find on Amazon with free p&p the heavy things will carry

a price for shipping but some websites do a dedicated delivery service which will be cheaper.

[Eggasperated]

Because of the way some web sites automatically calculate postage per item it can be worth ringing the company direct to see if they can offer a cheaper delivery. I have found a couple of times that the delivery cost offered over the phone is a lot less than online.

Worth a try .

[kinsk]

Definitely give the company a call.

[docsquid]

A lot of companies have a contract for shipping with their courier company that has a weight limit on it. A couple of bales of bedding, or large sacks of layers pellets and the company will go over their weight limit. Unfortunately, this is the cost of shipping nowadays - I know from experience. Some companies can subsidise the shipping but often their margins are so tight that if they subsidised it, they would be losing money on the order. I suspect that the company involved are not making any profit, and probably a loss, on shipping goods that heavy.

 

Phoning them up to see if they can do something about the shipping might be an idea. They may, for example, be able to ship cheaper if you split your order into smaller loads that came under the weight limit for their courier, thereby avoiding the penal rate they charge for heavier goods.

 

Shipping costs have rocketed recently thanks to huge rises in fuel prices. It is only going to get worse.

[The Dogmother]

I wonder if you are able to get the bales locally and then buy the smaller items online?

 

Do you need bales of so many different types of bedding; would just one type suffice?

[WitchHazel]

The Aubiose, pellets, easibed and woodchips are remarkably heavy, and I expect that has a lot to do with the cost.

You can probably find somewhere local to you where you can pick up feed and bedding, or that might deliver it more cheaply,

[Lewis]

4 of them are quite heavy/bulky items so its understandable it will be high but that seems far too much!

Can you not use Aubiose for the Cube and WIR - maybe not best for and uncovered outdoor run though.

 

I know Cotswold Chickens can send out 2 bales (20kg each) of Aubiose and two 20kg bags of layers pellets for £7.55 P&P, if that helps

[Duncan08]

Thanks everyone,

At the weekend I am going to try a farm not far from us where I got the Easibed from last time.

I don't think they do the Hardwood chippings for out doors though, and the Easibed wouldn't work outside, although it would be OK in the nest box with a bit of straw, which would save getting the auboise.

 

They are primarly a horse supplier that does some chicken bits so they may have the red top, which was brilliant last year.

They also do the layers pellets, which leaves the Net-tex / Diatom and the Wood chippings. They may be able to recommend somewhere though.

 

We do have a pets at home, but their range is limited.

 

I work in commercial freight and international forwarding so understand the increasing fuel costs - and you are so right it s only going to get worse. I suppose we just get so used to free delivery on domestic items, I just thought that was a bit steep.

 

Thanks Again for your replies.

[WitchHazel]

Roughly whereabouts are you Duncan? Maybe there are omleteers who can recommend places near you.

[Duncan08]

I am on the Wirral, right in between Liverpool, Chester and North Wales, and the Irish Sea

[WitchHazel]

I am on the Wirral, right in between Liverpool, Chester and North Wales, and the Irish Sea

 

Have you used Larton Livery? I don't know if they stock Aubiose, but they do stock Hemcore, which is hemp like Aubiose but also has citronella in it. It's co"Ooops, word censored!"r than Aubiose. BUt in the summer, I prefer it because of the citronella - it helps keep the flies down.

[Duncan08]

I will have a look, that is only about 25 minutes away.

 

Thanks WitchHazel,

[WitchHazel]

I will have a look, that is only about 25 minutes away.

 

 

Hmm, still a bit of a trek. MIght be worth a call to see what they stick..their website makes them look promising:

http://www.lartonlivery.com/

See the Shopping>Feedstore page

 

If you post a topic asking for recos near you, you'll probably get a lot more help

[Lavenders_Blue]

You could also try ringing your local tree surgeon for wood chips. My tree surgeon delivers me a tipper truck load of woodchips for free.

[Duncan08]

A Thank You to Everyone for their help.

 

I went back to the farm where I got the easibed from last time.

I got the easichick rather than the Horse, which has gone in the run, with a bale saved for the nest box.

Managed to get the other items on my list, plus a hanging drinker and a bottle of lifeguard.

 

The didn't have the wood chipping, but I went home and cleared out the old run bedding, gave it a good going over with the nettex ground sanitiser and went to the farm 2 minutes away for a bale of straw.

Hey presto - they do wood chippings

Havent got any in at the mo, but have ordered 5 bags for the outdoor run for when it comes in.

 

Dug out the outdoor run with a load of ground sanitiser, so hopefully they will get back to me with the woodchip before the girls trash it all again