yannovitch Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Bonjour tout le monde... i am making a permanent space for my eglu (which invovles moving two well established raised beds! i must be crazy) in order to save the lawn that has survived so far. Now: i read a couple of posts about hemcore, Aubiose, or wood chips. Can someone tell me what the score really is? Should i use just wood chips? or wood chips and Hemcore? or just Hemcore? i am asking these questions for the whole permanent area, not just inside the run. Also, wouldn't Hemcore wash away too quickly with the rain? Anyway, any experience is welcome here! Bisou, Yann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 We have a permanent run and it works and looks great. We have hemcore/aubiose in the run. Initially around the outside of the run (where we walk) we had bark chippings - which also worked well outside the run and the chickens enjoy scratching around in it. A few months ago though, we removed the bark chippings and replaced with stone chippings which is much cleaner and neater especially in this awful wet weather we have been having - so in the winter to walk around the eglu and run will be easy too because the chippings keep it nice and clean/dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 I've wondered about using stone chippings. The following questions had occurred to me and I wonder what you think? Does it not hurt the hens feet? How big are the pieces? Does the poo not collect underneath the chippings? What are they like to walk in in icy weather? Ta muchly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy C Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Here is a description I gave to another omleteer today about our experience and what we have learnt, I hope you find it helpful. "We decided to have a dedicated eglu and run zone, because like you, we had little space for moving the run about in. We followed the bark chipping plan on the omlet web site but have added modifications: 1. We have layers of landscape fabric underneath (now increased to 3 layers because of wear) with duck tape joining the seams. This makes it easier to sweep out when you want to change the chippings and stops the wood getting muddy and rotting so quickly. (It allows for good drainage in all this rain.) The duck tape stops chippings geting under the joins too. We have rolled the edges of the landscape fabric around wooden batons where it meets the log roll boundary. This stops the hens lifting the fabric to s"Ooops, word censored!"e the mud underneath. 2. We have added old rubber car mats (speared with holes using a garden fork) at high wear spots like near the grub as our girls chuck out the pellets and pick them off the ground. The extra scatching in this zone lead to the landscape fabric getting holey. The also seem to like the mat zone because they get extra warmth for sunbathing. 3. Instead of using bark chippings which got slimy quite quickly we use hardwood chips (from B&Q). They dust bathe in them happily and they seem to last well. We occasionally rake the area over and hose it down. The poo seems to "disappear" quite easily. After a few months we sweep out the chips and add them to the flower beds as a mulch. 4. We have used log roll edging around the area to keep the chips in. This keeps the chips off the lawn. Many people use aubiose or hemcore in their permanent runs, they say it keeps the smell down. Some people also hang citronella soaked kichen roll in the run and put it on the roosting bars to avoid flies. As we add dried garlic to their water and feed them bokashi as a supplement, the smell is not a problem for us. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 my 2 dont seem to have a problem walking on the stone chips, its only in the immediate area around the run (path width size around the perimiter) and then we have "sunken bricks" keeping the stone chippings in place. The chippings are quite small, its not pea gravel - but the next size up (a golden mixed colour). I have a few deck boards sunk into the gravel where the girls come out of the run. Its very easy to keep clean - just blast off the stones with the hosepipe. Also very handy when cleaning out the eglu as the area you are standing in when cleaning it doesnt go all mucky and muddy (like it would on grass or bark) We havent had a winter yet with it down, so no experience with ice. But its been really really good with this wet weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 I made a permanent run area like the one shown on the Omlet website, but I quickly changed to aubiose for inside the run (I believe hemcore is almost the same, just scented). It doesn't blow away; it stays dry, even in torrential rain; it soaks up poo like magic, and it's generally fantastic! I wouldn't use anything else - I add it to the nest tray and poop tray as well. I did have bark chippings and log-roll, but it got very messy; the bark probably wasn't a thick enough layer, because I got grass growing through it, and the log-roll was a bit uneven, mainly due to my limited DIY skills, and possibly also the fact that when I put it together in February, there was snow on the ground! A couple of months ago I pulled up the log-roll. I now lay it alongside the run, on top of the skirt; it helps to weigh the run down and it stops the chooks kicking all the aubiose out through the sides of the run, which was what made my permanent area so messy. I'm lucky - I have a big garden, and the chickens are in the 'wild' bit so I don't mind it being a bit scruffy. Definitely, definitely go for aubiose or hemcore though, you won't regret it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I'm glad I saw this post as I was about to ask a similar question myself - I have been advised by others on this site to use Hemcore to deter flies (we had swarms on the 1st day) and also as our lawn is being destroyed (after less than 4 days!!) we thought the eglu would be better on a permanent bed of hemcore. However I have a few questions before we go out and start buying yet more things to accomodate the chickens!! First, I haven't been able to find a Hemcore stockist in my area and the 2 animal feed places both say they aren't allowed to sell bedding that has been treated with anything??? thought this was a little weird as hemcore is treated with citronella or so I thought... It looks like sawdust - doesn't it not blow away all over the garden in the rain? and I would of thought it would get wrecked in the rain or is it ok? Also, how much of it should be put down - I was going to enclose an area about double to three times the width of the eglu+run so that I can move the whole thing over to pick up poop each mornign then move it back - how thickly does it need to go down is just a thin layer ok, I think we may let the girls eat what is left of the grass in this bit first as they love pecking it all day, but do they mind not having anything to peck at? that's all mine seem to do all day and they will only be free-ranging in the evenings after work so don't want them being bored! Also, if I am unable to get hold of the citronella treated stuff, is there any difference between Easibed and Aubiose?? the easibed seems a lot cheaper but looks identical would be grateful for any advice on that one, and on the grass every mornig I have been watering it with a watering can full of water with a couple of drops of citronella in to deter the flies - will this still be possible on the aubiose stuff?? So many questions, but answers to any of them would be much appreciated!! who would have thought 2 little hens could cause so many problems!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I'm glad I saw this post as I was about to ask a similar question myself - I have been advised by others on this site to use Hemcore to deter flies (we had swarms on the 1st day) and also as our lawn is being destroyed (after less than 4 days!!) we thought the eglu would be better on a permanent bed of hemcore. However I have a few questions before we go out and start buying yet more things to accomodate the chickens!! First, I haven't been able to find a Hemcore stockist in my area and the 2 animal feed places both say they aren't allowed to sell bedding that has been treated with anything??? thought this was a little weird as hemcore is treated with citronella or so I thought... It looks like sawdust - doesn't it not blow away all over the garden in the rain? and I would of thought it would get wrecked in the rain or is it ok? Also, how much of it should be put down - I was going to enclose an area about double to three times the width of the eglu+run so that I can move the whole thing over to pick up poop each mornign then move it back - how thickly does it need to go down is just a thin layer ok, I think we may let the girls eat what is left of the grass in this bit first as they love pecking it all day, but do they mind not having anything to peck at? that's all mine seem to do all day and they will only be free-ranging in the evenings after work so don't want them being bored! Also, if I am unable to get hold of the citronella treated stuff, is there any difference between Easibed and Aubiose?? the easibed seems a lot cheaper but looks identical would be grateful for any advice on that one, and on the grass every mornig I have been watering it with a watering can full of water with a couple of drops of citronella in to deter the flies - will this still be possible on the aubiose stuff?? So many questions, but answers to any of them would be much appreciated!! who would have thought 2 little hens could cause so many problems!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 If you use hemcore you won't need to move the run on a daily basis. It does make poo disappear and you can rake it out and top it up as necessary. That way you make a permanent patch for chickens but preserve the rest of your garden. I put hemcore in my run in february after a soggy, slippy and probably smelly winter on barkchips. I have my eglu and run on the allotment in the summer and shift it around every few days. In the autumn it will move back into the very small back garden and I will definitely be using hemcore in the run. It doesn't seem to blow around and is easy to rake out and composts well. I reckon about 1/3 of a bale will fill the run - maybe a little bit more. Hope this helps. I will not be putting the log roll back in place around the eglu winter area as all that happened was I tripped over it and stubbed my toes in the dark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Excellent thanks - I wasn't sure if I'd need several bales but after you saying a 1/3 of a bale or so should be fine I'll buy one to start with, and I've just found someone local that stocks it! Thanks for the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I have a permanent run, part covered, built straight on to the garden. The soil absorbs all the poo, the worms and slugs eat it up as well , then the chickens eat the worms and slugs . The part that is covered houses the Eglu (on stilts) and all the food and drink, they can dust bath for England in there, and the second part, accessible via a trap door, is open to the skies, with a couple of mature fruit trees, but surrounded by 6 foot high netting and wire. both parts are accessible via their own full height door and can be separated by closing the trap door between them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
