Omlet server

[Mrs_B]

Hello all!

 

I am really struggling with the amount of rain and I am sure I am not alone! However, recently I found black mould spores in the Eglu and also on my heavy duty green run cover. The mould is on the sides inside the Eglu GO and on the top of the cover. Of course, I have been scrubbing it off when I see it - but the cover has started to stain a little.

 

BUT today when I went out to do my egg collecting and check on the girls I noticed my white hen Atlanta has the black mould on her tail. I am honestly horrified. I rake up the woodchips (and added auboise to help with the damp) every few days so there aren't any saturated clumps and do the Stalosan routine etc and when I saw this it really broke my heart, and I am unsure the columbine has the same because of her colouring.

 

Does anyone have any advice when it comes to this situation other than cleaning the black off as it appears? The rain seems like it won't stop for a good while yet.

 

The girls in the wooden coop do not have this problem and I am wondering if it's because of the plastic? I haven't let the girls out of their runs for a few weeks because the garden is so saturated and their runs is the only ground that is suitable at the moment, and each pair seems happy (I have added extra pecking rings to keep them entertained).

 

Well, needless to say I will be bringing each girl in after they've gone to bed and give them a good clean (I was cleaning their tails/feet etc as and when they got very muddy) but I am just worried as soon as I put the girls back in the Eglu this will happen over and over, and I obviously don't want my hens to get ill!

 

Ahhhh~ can't wait till the summer!!

 

Thanks all - and Happy New Year!

 

x

[mimi5]

Oh dear Mrs B. I've also had mould on my green cube run cover recently and the clear ones (I've 2 don't look too clever either!!) but thankfully so far not inside the cube it's self! Not really any wonder at all this rain that just keeps coming!!!! Do you air the coop when you can? I try and do this in between the rain. Today the girls got a half hour free range and as I'm alaways out with them I open the cube roof for a bit. I've also taken to emptying the poo trays every 3 days at the mo, to try and reduce the moisture in the coop at night. Maybe give the eglu a good clean with virkon, when the weather will allow you!! I did that after Monty was PTS and you feel like you've achieved something atleast!

 

I am also worried about my wood chip, I did find a patch of mouldy small clumps of food in it the other day and so rinsed that bit through and then sprinkled ground sanitiser powder over it.

 

Roll on spring, I'm feed up with this winter.......maybe the chickens should get webbed feet not feathered feet!

 

Wishing for a drier new year!

[Hayleybug]

I poo pick the poo tray every morning, I think this reduces the damp so might be worth a try?

[HennyPenny59]

I poo pick every day too, and remove any bedding that doesn't look dry ... Im also removing all the bedding more frequently and sprinkling BioDry on the floor before I put fresh bedding in ... When is all this rain going to stop!!

[sandyhas3chucks]

I too poo pick every day and remove anything remotely damp. I use aubiose which has stalofan under it with Diatomous E (both absorb moisture as does the aubiose.

I have Dixons dustless chopped straw on top too.

I have 3 large 13 week chicks with their Foster Mum and her sister larger Hybrids in one Eglu, and no excesss moisture inside...

(an awful lot of poo mind )

[Mrs_B]

Thank you both for replying - I really can't wait for some dry weather, if anything so I feel like I can enjoy my girls' company a little bit more as the rain is stopping me from going outside (I even liked having the windows open to hear them, which I miss now!)

 

Mimi - the idea of airing out the Go sounds like a FAB idea, I will do this! I haven't ever done this except a good few times in the summer when I gave it a thorough clean with the hose, but now it's winter I have just been sponging the sides down, so this might really help - thank you

 

Hayleybug - I do poo pick everyday, I hate the thought of the girls sleeping or stepping in their poos from the night before (plus the neighbours love the eggs so I don't like giving them mucky eggs ) BUT I don't do the tray everyday, so I will change the newspaper/diatom more regularly which can only help - thank you

 

Well, I gave Atlanta a good clean in the sink and then stood her on the bed for a blow dry, she was such a good girl which was a surprise as she's usually so flighty! Sadly, a tiny bit of the black stain remains on her tail but I can see it fading over time (fingers crossed). I will do one chicken a night as the blow drying ended up taking a lot longer than it usually takes as she was dunked in a sink of warm water instead of being sponged down...I'll also be upping the amount of times they are cleaned too to try and combat any staining, as I think I didn't recognise it right away because it looked like she was just a bit dirty.

 

x

[sandyhas3chucks]

I would ditch the newspaper... I find it just gets soggy... I know some use it, but that's what I find, there are lots of things you can use not just aubiose, there are lots of other horsey type thibngs, I just found Aibiose is the best..

[Mrs_B]

Ah, crossed posts

 

I poo pick every day too, and remove any bedding that doesn't look dry ... Im also removing all the bedding more frequently and sprinkling BioDry on the floor before I put fresh bedding in ... When is all this rain going to stop!!

 

Thanks, HennyPenny - hopefully when we have our lovely dry weather back all of this rain will be forgotten I will definitely be changing the girls' bedding more often to help now x

 

I too poo pick every day and remove anything remotely damp. I use aubiose which has stalofan under it with Diatomous E (both absorb moisture as does the aubiose.

I have Dixons dustless chopped straw on top too.

I have 3 large 13 week chicks with their Foster Mum and her sister larger Hybrids in one Eglu, and no excesss moisture inside...

(an awful lot of poo mind )

 

I don't always put Stalosan under the bedding, but I think I might do it every time now - thank you My neighbour brought me over a load of heavy duty straw yesterday for the girls' bedding, as he keeps pigeons. I was reluctant to use it because any spores - do you think it would be OK or would help?

 

Hehe I can imagine how many poos you must get...I still remember having 5 chooks in one coop and being presented with lots of presents the morning after

 

x

[Mrs_B]

Ah, crossed post again!

 

I would ditch the newspaper... I find it just gets soggy... I know some use it, but that's what I find, there are lots of things you can use not just aubiose, there are lots of other horsey type thibngs, I just found Aibiose is the best..

 

Thanks again, Sandyhas3chucks I will just keep the Auboise in the Elgu and see how that goes! I will also have a little look at other products to see if it's worth trying something else too

 

x

[sandyhas3chucks]

Some people use straw, I have a bale for sitting on in the run, i have used it in the nest but found the poo just seems to sit on it I found it felt quite damp And you have to take so much out each time as it is long. i had read of people using chopped straw and when I had only a few lol I actually sat with scissors cutting it ok you can all stop sniggering now

Then I found dixons dustless chopped and the light switched on it is also much softer than the big stuff.

Hope this helps..

bloody rain eh?

[Hayleybug]

Hi mrs B, I started out using a sheet of newspaper to line the poo tray but found that it just sort of attracted moisturefrom the poos. I just use aubiose with stalosan & diatom sprinkled through. I find that the eglu stays dry doing this but then my girls do nice dry solid poos at night luckily! I also have a WIR with tarps on 2 sides which helps!

[Mrs_B]

Some people use straw, I have a bale for sitting on in the run, i have used it in the nest but found the poo just seems to sit on it I found it felt quite damp And you have to take so much out each time as it is long. i had read of people using chopped straw and when I had only a few lol I actually sat with scissors cutting it ok you can all stop sniggering now

Then I found dixons dustless chopped and the light switched on it is also much softer than the big stuff.

Hope this helps..

bloody rain eh?

 

Gosh, sandyhas3chucks, you have some real patience!!

 

I think I will stick with aubiose, I really like it, and seems to help with the damp and poop picking! I will definitely keep an eye out for dixons though - where do you buy it?

 

I might use the straw I was given in the girls' FR area to scratch around in so it's not wasted x

 

Hi mrs B, I started out using a sheet of newspaper to line the poo tray but found that it just sort of attracted moisturefrom the poos. I just use aubiose with stalosan & diatom sprinkled through. I find that the eglu stays dry doing this but then my girls do nice dry solid poos at night luckily! I also have a WIR with tarps on 2 sides which helps!

 

Ahh thank you - I never thought about taking the newspaper out

 

I am glad my girls do 'good' poos too, but a few months ago when they were really ill, it was horrible to have to poo pick everyday as the poos weren't nice in the slightest, and was awful to see that the girls were suffering, so 'good' poos are always welcome here

 

x

[good_egg]

Just wanted to say hope you manage to get things sorted, it's such beastly weather at the moment. Every time I go out feel like I'm wading through mud. Here's hoping 2014 is a much drier year than 2013!! We've kept things reasonably dry in the run by effectively creating a polytunnel with clear covers (large clear one over side and roof of cube run and two smaller squares on remaining side that can be removed if dry) and have used bliss in the run which seems to be a success, I use dust free shavings in the cube which I find really easy to slide into the bin and replace (there is an optimum thickness - covered so no green but not much more!)

 

Bring on summer!!

[sandyhas3chucks]

Ha ha someone worse than me at dates. I have just seen to a friends Igirls. I took some run cover off as it was dry and there is the start of mould on the underside. .when I replacedas now raining for a change I have put back other side in. Will need to turn others. Too next. I have had to put breeze blocks on my big wide path as stepping stones to get through the water sitting like a pond on it. Hey ho could be worse as other folks have it

[good_egg]

D'oh!! Futuristic!!! Or just a bit silly!