Chicken boarders

[helen_molly]

Hi, I got my first chickens last week (5 from the BHWT, living in a green cube (sleeping in the nest box!)) and so far, - I am enjoying chicken ownership even more than I thought I would - they're lovely.

 

I'm sure I will have lots of questions for yo all over the next few weeks, but my most pressing concern is finding some wood chips (or possibly gravel) to go on the floor of their walk in run.

 

I have read that Bark chips are no good as they contain spore that can make them ill when they get damp, and I am really struggling to find anywhere I can buy hardwood chips (they seem to be intended for children's play areas). I found a few places online, but the delivery costs are prohibitive. People have suggested local garden centers and I have tried wikes / B and Q but not to much avail.

 

What do you all use on the bottom of your chicken run and where did you get it from?

 

Many thanks,

 

Helen

[bucklamp]

Hi,

 

Not quite sure of your location but if you are near Malvern in Worcestershire, Newland Poultry sells suitable wood chip. We have it in our walk in run and it does the trick.

 

http://www.newlandgrange.com/

 

Under the "help and advice section" they have a useful article about "Chicken Run Mud Management".

[helen_molly]

Thanks for your help, I'm based in Sheffield. I'll have a look at that mud management advice

[LunaKiw1]

We have our 3 chooks largely just on bare earth now (as they've kicked out the original wood chips) and it works well as they love digging and making dustbaths in their Omlet WIR. The essential thing, whatever you choose to put on the base/floor or nothing, is to keep the run covered to prevent it getting wet. We have a transparent tarpaulin stretched tight over the roof and down two sides (which can be rolled up in dry/warm weather to let air in and ventilate the run) held in place with cable ties and bungees and in the non-summer months we also have tarpaulins across the back and front as well. Our WIR has been dry all year as a result.

[Clucky the Great]

I got my chooks in January and we pondered on hardwood chips, but we found again that they were hard to come by and you seemed to need a lot!

I settled on sharp sand that I got from a local builders merchant for about £40 for enough for 5m2 run and we also got a 20kg bag of aubiose from our local horsey shop for £9.

 

The sand is the main run base, but then I mixed about 5kg of aubiose in and also I use aubiose for the nest box so everytime I clear it out and put a new bed in, I poop scoop it and put it on top of the run. I find it quite good... I give them bokashi bran to neutralise their poop as although I do try and poop scoop the run often...it usually gets mushed in to the sand so I can only poop scoop the most recent ones! Every couple of months I s"Ooops, word censored!"e the top layer of sand off with a shovel and (I know one person has a giant sieve and sieves hers) I just throw it on the compost.

 

They seem to like it as they think it is a giant dustbath but that does mean every so often you have to rake it back into levelness so it doesn't resemble sand dunes! It is covered so the sand is mostly dry but sometimes it does get really heavy in heavy rain so I do put logs and stuff in so they don't have to stand in it all day.

 

I know lots of people use just aubiose but you have to change that more often than sand + aubiose mix. Can't say I have any experience in any other run materials though...other than grass - they were on it for 1 day and destroyed the lawn...oops! Have fun with your chooks, you'll love them and well done for rescuing!!

[Chickabee]

If your WIR is covered you can use many things. I put down old paving slabs and cover with aubiose or similar, which gets mucked out every so often. The cube run is also covered, but is just a mixture of dirt and easichick, they love to dust bath in it. The great thing about aubiose is, you can put it on your garden after you've emptied the run

 

I've used sand in another run before that was quite successful too, I mixed in some aubiose or straw pellets to help soak up smells and some biodry.

[JellyBean2605]

I use bark chips but I have a covered WIR with guttering and a slabbed base. As long as it stays dry it's fine, I just apply stalosan occasionally.

[Guest]

Helen Molly try a horsey supply shop or country store, if you have a Kennelgate nearby some stock aubiose as well as chicken food, they will order in for you if they don't normally stock it I have found.

[Chickybaby]

I use Easichick now on the floor in my covered WIR, like you I had trouble finding hardwood chips. I only have 4 chickens but muck out the run about every 3 months and I just put it all straight onto my garden.

[Princess Leia]

Try contacting some local tree surgeons - they can generally supply a couple of cubic metres of hardwood chips at reasonable cost.

[Alex_LJZ]

Another vote for sand from me. I put a 3 inch layer over the base of my WIR and it works great, keeps their feet clean and they can scratch around all day. I poop scoop with a litter tray scooper daily and once every coupld of weeks I rake it through to loosen up and toss mixed corn into it. You can freshen it up with an extra bag of sand for £2. Sieving works great every few weeks to clear the poop out and you can rake through some sanitiser. It dries quickly even if uncovered or you have driven rain.

 

However, B&Q do sell wood chip (not bark) but is it pricey.

 

I remain unconvinced about the problems of bark chippings. I have a small orchard which I mulch with bark chippings. When I first put them down I get a bit of mould but afetr a week it clears up. I let the chickens in for a few hours most days and they love it - no problems so far and I have read lots of post from others who use bark with no problems.

[Bramble]

Sorry to crash the post - just wondered what type of sand you use - sharp sand, play sand or any other kind?

Many thanks

[Alex_LJZ]

Sorry to crash the post - just wondered what type of sand you use - sharp sand, play sand or any other kind?

Many thanks

 

Most sources suggest sharp sand, otherwise called grit sand which has particles up to about 2 or 3mm. play sand it really fine and will stick to their feet and also could be inhaled. Grit sand is also cheaper. I tossed in a bag or two of small gravel with mine too.