Daywalker Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Hi all, newby alert. Our girls were delivered on the 12th October. At the moment they're on grass and will be moved around. Anyone see any problems with this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Hello and welcome! We have our eglu on a permanent site with hemcore (brilliant stuff!) but occasionally swing the run round onto the grass so they can get a change of scene. We also let them freerange as much as we can. We recently left them in the run on the grass for a week while we were on holiday (we did have people looking in on them - they weren't hens home alone!) and the grass got pretty wrecked. Unless you've got a huge grass area I don't know how practical it would be - & moving the run quite often could become a pain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omletina Kyckling Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Hi, My girls are on the lawn - they have been here for about 6 weeks now (and Nina, my second of three chickens, laid her first, beautiful egg today!! Helga has already given me 20!) Anyway, I have a large-ish garden (about 1/3 acre) and they free range much of the time, but I just move the Eglu about once a week. I only have three positions it's been in, so it's in one for a week, then I move it an Eglu's width to the side after a week, then another width the following week and then back to the start after another week and so on. My grass where the Eglu and run sits, is looking pretty good but they are out and about most of the time so only return to eat and lay and obviously the eglu itself is on the grass for that week - when the eglu is moved, the grass is very pale and spindly underneath but after a few days it perks up. Come winter, I may move it around to more sites, but at the moment, it's working within a small area. I find it's easiest to move the eglu when you clean it out, so that the top is off and I also remove the glug/grub bowls to reduce the weight - then it's a doddle! I hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daywalker Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 I'll probably trial it for a while moving it once a week. They dont get out too much as we work all day most days, (out of the run that is). Weekends they've have an hour or so. I'll let them out longer so that they have a change of scenery. "We have our eglu on a permanent site with hemcore (brilliant stuff!) but occasionally swing the run round onto the grass so they can get a change of scene. We also let them freerange as much as we can." How often do you change the Hemcore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Mine are going to be on dirt (it was a border covered in membrane and bark which I've removed) and I'm going to try to get some woodchip to cover the bare earth. I don't fancy them destroying my lawn but I will let them free range on it Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 How often do you change the Hemcore? I've had my girls since 9 September and have "changed" it once (last Monday). They seem to dig it all into the earth so it eventually disappears. I gave the soil a good dig over, added garden lime and put new hemcore down. One bale cost me about £9 and I've got through one so far. I see people talking about putting their hemcore into the compost bin when they change it, but as mine disappears, I don't know how I could without putting loads of soil in it too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daywalker Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 what about Hemcore on paving? I have an area that housed a small shed. I'm thinking I could use Hemcoes on those under the run and disinfect on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I think you can do that but I seem to remember reading on here that it's better if they have soil so they can scratch about for bugs and beasties (especially if they don't get to freerange much) and also make dust baths. Mine make quite deep "nests" in the soil/hemcore and settle down in them for a snooze . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daywalker Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 would you suggest lifting the slabs and keeping them on Hemcore & the soil? What does the Lime do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Hello Daywalker and welcome. My Eglu's are on paving slabs and I use Aubiose which is more or less the same as Hemcore in the run. I jet wash it all away every so often.....it disappears into the surrounding soil, and I then sprinkle Garden Lime around to sweeten the earth. It works well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layla Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 mine are just on bare soil, they used to freerrange in the whole of the back garden but it didn't take long for them to wreck it. Have only just had it re turfed so it's off limits to them. We have fenced a third of our garden for them. in the winter when its a mud bath i get wood chips to make it look a bit more presentable and it saves on muddy chicken feet !!! That hemcore stuff sounds interresting Hugs layla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 mine have both, their small run/coop is on slabs with hemcore and the larger attached run is on soil with bark over the top, most of which they've dug into the soil or hoofed out onto the patio! (photo below so you can see what I mean) We MIGHT let them free range a small amount, under supervision but not sure yet as we have a veggie plot at the bottom of the garden- we might wait til the Spring but the girls are getting bolder every dsy and they take themselves for a walk every time I open the run door to stroke them or give them their treats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodle Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Hi there I keep mine in one place on my lawn (small garden) I had mine on grass for the first week until they had eaten/scuffed up the best of it. Then I put hemcore down which I rake out every 5 days or so, not that there seems to be much left by the end of the week...not sure where it goes Hemcore is great: hemcore + garlic powder = no smell Mine have been free ranging all week as my teenage daughters have been keeping an eye on them, but the chooks are going to have a shock next week when schools back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 we have a permanent run for both our eglus. We have hemcore/aubiose in the run and I would not use anything else - it is a godsend in the run by absorbing the poo's and the wet and the chickens love it. We have stone chippings/gravel and deck boards around the outside of the runs (for us to walk on) so it makes it cleaner and easier in the winter/wet months as it doesnt get all muddy. see my gallery at the bottom of my signature if you want a better idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 My girls are also on a permanent site, with hemcore on the bare soil. I clear it out and dig some lime in (to de-acidify the soil) roughly every 6 weeks. The Hemcore and poo speed up the compost I have IKEA shower curtains over the run to keep it dry - they shelter in there from the rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Mine are supposedly on hemcore but most of the time it seems to be mud as I find it so hard to get hemcore into the run. I actually have 3 currently kept on my veg patch so they they were on mud and 3 that were supposed to be temperarily on grass at the end of the garden. It is now of course mud as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Mine are supposedly on hemcore but most of the time it seems to be mud as I find it so hard to get hemcore into the run. I know what you mean ... how do people get it into the run? I chuck bucketsful in through the door, and a bucket through the Eglu while the top is off for cleaning, to get it near the end. I've even resorted to sort of rubbing it through the run bars to get some in the middle! The girls do spread it around a bit, but if I pile it all up near the door, most of it comes back out again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I lift the run up by the door end and swing it round so it's off the run space (the eglu stays in the same position). I put the hemcore in a long heap down the middle and swing the run back - the girls spread it all out for me . (I've just put in a small plank of wood at the door to stop them kicking it all out. I've also cut up old rotary drier covers and cable tied them along the sides - we lose hardly any hemcore now!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Mine are on soil and so there is no work at all. But this only works if you have light flyaway soil that is as dry as dust. I don't think keeping the run on grass and moving it around is feasible unless you have a lawn the size of a small field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisHapp Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 is on slabs with woodchip on the top. Works great. I think grass gets wrecked very quickly, unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Mine are in a big pen with a roof,on light dusty soil topped with B&Q softwood chips. It works perfectly for us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 I don't think keeping the run on grass and moving it around is feasible unless you have a lawn the size of a small field. Nor do I Gallina; when I was chook sittingin the summer, they soon had the grass under their eglu run reduced to shreds. Not a problem because it soon grew back and they were only here for 3 weeks. I have kick boards along the sides of my run to keep the Hemcore in. When I'm replacing the hemcore, I unscrew the run from the eglu and pull it away to clean the area first, then lime the soil, dig it in and replace the Hemcore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daywalker Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 Mm, so Hemcore on soil is better than Hemcore on slabs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Yup, they do like to get to the worms underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 my maran will spend all day digging in the run....she loves it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
