Storms and chickens

[Bubble]

Hello, thanks for having me in this forum! I got my Eglu classic from eBay last week and got my girls Nando and Nugget (not my name choice!) Yesterday and they are settling in very well. They are POL Goldlines/Highlines and very bold already try to get in the house!

I have a couple of questions about basic house keeping please. TheEglu and run are on bare earth at the moment and I have a little bit of grass fenced off at the end of the run. I’m getting more fencing to give them a bigger area. 

Do I need to get wood clippings for the run floor or can I leave it as is? At leat in the summer. Also if I leave it like this or until I get wood chip do I clean out the poo every day?

in the Eglu I have snowflake soft chip in the tray in the Eglu. Should I empty that out each day too?

Any other tips for keeping the girls clean and happy would be greatly appreciated! 😀 TIA  

 

 

[Cat tails]

I have my run on bare earth, but do remember that chickens dig for China, so might want to dig in some paving slabs, like the photos below.

Alternatively, place your run on paving slabs and then fill the run with woodchips. Don’t be tempted to put woodchips on bare earth. It becomes a muddy mess.

I don’t poo pick my earth run, the worms do the job for me. I just sweep or hose down their paved run.

[Bubble]

Thank you Cat Tails, we have clay soil here in Sussex so it’s rock hard at the moment. Thinking of moving the Eglu to the patio in the winter. 

[eggysoldiers]

I’m relatively new so I’m sure a grown up will answer soon, but in the meantime...

I’ve got woodchip on patio slabs, but read the posts about aubiose as I’m thinking of changing......

I suspect your own may not last very long within the fencing. They are remarkably destructive little things.... or that might just be my bantams!
 

I clean the house out once a week, I’d think that’s sufficient. I also sprinkle netted ground san in the run at this point. I rake through but there’s no obvious poo. I’ve added an extra bag of woodchip and will swap it all out at somepoint.

My slabs are just laid on the soil, not proper patio style.

 

[Cat tails]

22 minutes ago, eggysoldiers said:

I suspect your own may not last very long within the fencing. They are remarkably destructive little things.... or that might just be my bantams!

Chickens are the animal version of a wrecking ball!

24 minutes ago, eggysoldiers said:

My slabs are just laid on the soil, not proper patio style.

 

I’m always amazed by the way you Brits lay down a patio. 
Dutch patio’s are always on just sand. We never ever use concrete.

[The Dogmother]

20 minutes ago, Cat tails said:

I’m always amazed by the way you Brits lay down a patio. 
Dutch patio’s are always on just sand. We never ever use concrete.

You've been speaking to my OH, who shakes his head when he visits and sees how I have been laying slabs - he would do it properly too.

My runs are on slabs, which extend beyond the edges of the run. I sprinkle Nettex Ground Sanitising Powder on the slabs, then fill the run with about an inch of Aubiose shredded hemp bedding. this gets raked through weekly with some more GSP. I also use the Aubiose in the run, nest box and poo trays.

[eggysoldiers]

That was meant to be “lawn”.... “I suspect your lawn won’t last long” 🙈🙈

39 minutes ago, Cat tails said:

Chickens are the animal version of a wrecking ball!

My mini wrecking balls are proving true to type. I’m trying to learn how to grow chicken hardy plants 🤣🙈

And mine is definitely a Dutch patio!

[Bubble]

13 minutes ago, eggysoldiers said:

That was meant to be “lawn”.... “I suspect your lawn won’t last long” 🙈🙈

My mini wrecking balls are proving true to type. I’m trying to learn how to grow chicken hardy plants 🤣🙈

And mine is definitely a Dutch patio!

That’s ok I thought you meant lawn 😂 that’s why I need a bigger fence 😉

just a question about the wood chip - my girls get their food all over the ground - if this is in the wood chip and not cleaned away will it attract rats etc?

[Cat tails]

8 hours ago, Bubble said:

That’s ok I thought you meant lawn 😂 that’s why I need a bigger fence 😉

just a question about the wood chip - my girls get their food all over the ground - if this is in the wood chip and not cleaned away will it attract rats etc?

What are you feeding them? A pellet will be less wasteful than a mixed grain feed or layers mash. You can put a paving slab under their feeder to make cleanup easier. I have always one under mine.

[Bubble]

2 hours ago, Cat tails said:

What are you feeding them? A pellet will be less wasteful than a mixed grain feed or layers mash. You can put a paving slab under their feeder to make cleanup easier. I have always one under mine.

Thanks Cat Tails, I’ve mixed together layers mash and pellets half and half for them. I think that they prefer the mash as tears what they had before and throwing out the pellets! 

[eggysoldiers]

Mine don’t spill their food out of the grub. They do have a peck toy thing hanging that I put a bit of treat or corn in but none of that is wasted!! 

[Cat tails]

3 hours ago, Bubble said:

Thanks Cat Tails, I’ve mixed together layers mash and pellets half and half for them. I think that they prefer the mash as tears what they had before and throwing out the pellets! 

Mash is always more wasteful as they can just pick out what they like. And thus they probably prefer the mash. Pellets are uniform and it might take a few days of determination and hardheadedness to convince them that it’s food.

[mullethunter]

23 hours ago, Cat tails said:

I’m always amazed by the way you Brits lay down a patio. 
Dutch patio’s are always on just sand. We never ever use concrete.

I must be a half-*****d version of a Brit because mine is on a layer of sand

[Bubble]

11 hours ago, eggysoldiers said:

Mine don’t spill their food out of the grub. They do have a peck toy thing hanging that I put a bit of treat or corn in but none of that is wasted!! 

I think that I need to get mine some peck toys. I have a wire ball thing that came with the Eglu - I’ll put some some treats in for them tomorrow. I gave them some grated carrot and cut half a courgette in half lengthwise for them which they loved! 

Ordered wood chip today and being delivered on Thursday - thanks for the advice everyone! 

[soapdragon]

We used to give ours the mango stone when we'd carved as much off as poss - lovely yellow yolks next day! Even now I've several times found myself at the back door, mango stone in hand to take out to the girls and it's been 5 years!