Solitary chicken - need advice

[BridieLou]

Hi all. We got our 3 girls and a Go Up plus 2m run 2-3 weeks ago. They've all settled in well, and the set up seemed good, but the rains have not let up this week!

 

They are currently on soil, covered with a membrane, with 3 inches of woodchip atop. I've got a waterproof cover on them, but between the driving rain and their ability to knock over EVERY water bowl within seconds, their run is getting pretty wet. It's not boggy or muddy (yet ), but it's damp and smelt a bit this morning.

 

I'm poo picking daily and clearing their poop tray every day atm, since they're going to bed earlier to shelter. But, it strikes me that all this damp is a breeding ground for bacteria.

 

They are free range for a bit each day (between 2 and 7 hours).

 

What's the best thing to do to keep them safe and keep smells down? I can't afford to replace the woodchips every 3 weeks!

 

Thanks

[Chickabee]

What type of wood chip are you using? Is the membrane breathable? You may want to get a different type of drinker. Are they using a glug ? A hanging drinker might be better

[Cat tails]

I don't have woodchip, but just bare soil, with paving slabs with big spaces (inch to two inch) between them. Dug them about 20 to 30 cm deep. Means that water drains away easily, but bugs and worms can still do their thing to remove poo. I rake it once in a while and "wash it down" with the hose once in a while.

Almost no smell. Few flies, but they mostly come to the poo that is on my terras

 

I have the Cube rain cover, that fits quite well over the run of my Go Up. Keeps the soil almost completely dry. They dustbath in the run dayly.

[BridieLou]

Thanks both.

 

They're just on wood chip I got from a tree surgeon. Largely it's decent chunks, but perhaps its the finer pieces that are disintegrating and causing the problem. Yes, they use a glug but they jump into it and knock it off the wall! I'll get a hanging one - that's a good idea.

 

Cattails - so are your chooks just happy living on paving slabs in the run? Or do you put woodchip on top? It hadn't crossed my mind that you could do that, I thought they'd want to scratch and dig. I guess it doesn't matter if they free range a bit?

 

It's a sunny day today (hooray!), so I've cleaned them out and am hoping they'll dry out a bit. Threw some DE down, too.

 

Anyway, perhaps I'm worrying about nothing, they don't seem in the least bothered...

[Cat tails]

Mine are on soil, with paving slabs dug under, to prevent them from digging out to much. They love the soil to dust bath in.

[The Dogmother]

You shouldn't need to poo pick every day at all.. Personal, I would switch to using a drying litter such as Aubiose, in the house and run. You will notice a massive difference.

[Olly]

I agree with Dogmother.

 

Keeping the run dry is key. I went up to mine yesterday afternoon between showers, and discovered that the large hollow they have dug under their feeder was full of water - we have had exceptionally heavy rain here in the South East and parts of the garden were flooded which never happens normally. I had to put duckboards down so they could get to the feeder! (or are they chickenboards? ) It's dried out today but it's probably time I dug the run floor out and put it in the composter.

[The Dogmother]

Might be worth slabbing under the litter Olly; I did mine some years back, with slabs from free cycle, and it is dry, and so easy to clean.

[mullethunter]

Ive got a slab base under the wood chip and I'm so pleased I made the effort to do it. Although (even though the run is covered) it gets wet from the edges in wet weather, it's never too bad. I've had the chips down for 8 months and they've only just started to seem like they need changing (keep having to take out a load of decomposed damp stuff from underneath).

[The Dogmother]

Yes, I spot clean around the feeders and drinkers, pop down some ground sanitising powder, and more Aubiose between total clear outs.