Sarah Gee Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Good morning all i am new to keeping chickens and have been doing lots of research before my girls arrive from the BWHT in September. im starting to get a better t paranoid, and obsessed, by the debate of what is n st to put in my nesting boxes and floor of the coop! I really don’t want to give my girls red mite and have been reading that straw is a no no and I should go for hemp or some other alternative. would love some solid advice from someone who isn’t trying to sell me a product!! Ihave read the wonders of diacomtraceus (probably spelt in correctly!) so will be getting they to spray around the coop and also in the nest boxes! Please help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 No to straw! Neither in the run or nest box. I know it can all be rather confusing, but I really trust the advice of the peeps on this forum. Most here use some kind of chick or horse bedding in the nest box. I prefer wood chips. Don’t fall in the wood shavings trap. Especially in winter it will mould easily. For the run it’s mostly horse bedding if you have completely dry run of (hard)wood chips. My lot is on bare earth, with a part of the run on paving stones, which works very well for me. But I have a well draining garden, so no risk of mud. All options have there own pros and cons and it’s very dependent on your set up what will work best for you. Do keep asking questions! This lot here is always happy to help out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Straw is a no because red mite can hide in the hollow stems. We use newspaper on the coop floor (cheap, easy to clean and easy to see the poo) and wood shavings over a cut-up feed sack in the nest boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Gee Posted August 3, 2018 Author Share Posted August 3, 2018 Thank you both. Like you cat tails, my coop is on a brick flooring and the run part brick and part earth which is well daring! Lucy enough to have a builder a my other half!! just hope the girls like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 That’s a lovely looking run! I’m positively jealous! Just keep in mind that chicken wire is good to keep chickens in, but not so great to keep foxes out. If you have foxes around, it would pay to consider a different type of wire. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Gee Posted August 3, 2018 Author Share Posted August 3, 2018 Thank you for your help tip! It is well secured with double wood on either side and Perspex at the bottom on the week points. Going to test it soon by putting something in their that my foxy Might like to see what she does!!! That’s before my girls come in September! Yhink i I will go for horse bedding which is hemp and also states good for chickens. In box nest boxes and on the floor. thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyRoo Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Well, despite what others have said, I use dust extracted straw and I've never had a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 Love the photos of your run. I use hard wood woodchips in my run and aubiose in the nest box. I did use to have a tied up straw bale for them to climb on and peck but this was a no no too because one of my silly girls ate it and got an impacted crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 No to straw and hay - apart from the mite and dust issue, the daft beggars will eat it and end up witn impacted crops. I use Aubiose (hemp bedding) in the housing, nest box and run - it dries out droppings and composts wonderfully. I would also recommend that you use weldmesh on the run panels rather than chicken wire.... foxes, rats and badgers can all bite through the latter easily and perspex panels won't stop them I'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamrhind Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Hmmm. Like Andy, I also use straw and I've also never had any problems with mites or with the hens eating the straw. But it's good to know that there might be issues, so I shall look for good alternatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Gee Posted August 5, 2018 Author Share Posted August 5, 2018 Thanks for all the comments and advice. Funnily enough, we bought some weld mesh yesterday to put on as well, so will hopefully keep Bella the fox out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...