BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 i have bought today poultry drink, grit, chopped straw for bedding. still undecided which feed to go for (pellets or mash) but will speak to the breeder on friday about this. i need something on the run floor, but dont know what to put down, at the moment it is just mud can you think of anything else i need and if possible let me know what i use it for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 Have a look in the frequently asked questions section-I think just about everything is covered in there HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 i have bought today poultry drink, grit, chopped straw for bedding. still undecided which feed to go for (pellets or mash) but will speak to the breeder on friday about this. i need something on the run floor, but dont know what to put down, at the moment it is just mud can you think of anything else i need and if possible let me know what i use it for to start with we bought.... garlic powder (from a feed supplier, not the human stuff) makes the poo less smelly poultry shield- to clean the coop out with aubiose/hemcore- for the bedding and the floor of the run poultry spice- to add to the feed as a tonic oyster shell and grit mixed together, (oyster shell to give them a calcium boost to make sure we don't get thin shelled eggs) red mite powder- sprinkled in the aubiose and around the coop when it's cleaned out, just to be on the safe side ************************ going to get some wormer at the weekend too, just to be on the safe side- there's lots about worming in the chicken clinic stickies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 Your list sounds great so far. You can gradually build up your chicken essentials box as you go along. I cant praise Hemcore/Aubiose enough, it really is great in the run at absorbing poos (it literally disappears) and the girls love rumaging around in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 thanks for all your replies will look into getting the hemcore for the floor of the run. eventually i am hoping for the run to be in 3 sections so that i can rotate them around, i.e grow some grass in one or perhaps 3 sections and rotate the chickens around. i did do a search for chicken essentials on the forum but it kept throwing up loads of different threads and after 9 pages i just couldnt find any more info that i wanted although my oh has had chickens all his life before moving in with me 14 years ago, i didnt want to ask him as he told me to do my own research (which in fact has been extreemly helpful) before i even contemplate having chickens. now he is quite happy about me getting the chickens on fri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 you might find this link useful, it's from the FAQ section (just in case you didn't see it, forums can take time to get used to navigating) http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1570 and this link which i stumbled on while searching for info on apple cider vinegar http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=278687&highlight=apple+cider+vinegar#278687 and amusingly i found my thread asking the same question when i first started out http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14493&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=apple+cider+vinegar&start=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 Bertie, if you live roughly where I think you live - aubiose (same as hemcore) is available from Welland Valley feeds in Market Harborough. If you decide to go for woodchip, as opposed to bark, there is a place signposted of the A6, near the tip just south of Kibworth, that will sell a trailer load for £10. But I think you can get it by the bagful if you take your own bags. I have a huge bag that had a ton of gravel in it from the builders merchants so keep meaning to take that and get it filled up - just haven't got round to it yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 Yep,go for Hemcore or Aubiose, & use it in the poo tray & nest box too. Straw gets soggy & it can harbour mites in its hollow centre. You will need a good tought feed bin too, & a scoop.....this is a must,to keep rats at bay. Also get: Grit & oyster shell (from Omlet shop) Garlic Powder Some sort of vitamin top-up....Battles drink or Poultry Spice & make sure you have a camrea to hand for those first photos too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 Yep,go for Hemcore or Aubiose, & use it in the poo tray & nest box too. Straw gets soggy & it can harbour mites in its hollow centre. You will need a good tought feed bin too, & a scoop.....this is a must,to keep rats at bay. Also get: Grit & oyster shell (from Omlet shop) Garlic Powder Some sort of vitamin top-up....Battles drink or Poultry Spice & make sure you have a camrea to hand for those first photos too you get ordinary bins quite cheaply from your DIY store, make sure they are metal or tough plastic and are sealable/have lids- our council delivered a new blue bin recently for recycling everything (not just paper as before) so we used that to store our aubiose in and used our old blue bin to recycle instead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted November 28, 2007 Author Share Posted November 28, 2007 Bertie, if you live roughly where I think you live - aubiose (same as hemcore) is available from Welland Valley feeds in Market Harborough. If you decide to go for woodchip, as opposed to bark, there is a place signposted of the A6, near the tip just south of Kibworth, that will sell a trailer load for £10. But I think you can get it by the bagful if you take your own bags. I have a huge bag that had a ton of gravel in it from the builders merchants so keep meaning to take that and get it filled up - just haven't got round to it yet! my friend and neighbour owns welland valley feeds (and she's been monitoring my building!!!). i asked the other day but they said that my run wouldn't need hemcore but i am just uncomfortable about them in the run on the mud at this time of the year. i know where the farm on the A6 is but just hadn't thought of that i could nip in there on fri on the way back from whetstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 I've seen a few places with free range chickens that are just on mud at this time of year They always seem to look a little fed up - stood around, doing nothing. My runs got very muddy when we were away for 2 weeks in the summer so I put loads of aubiose down - they perked up no end and had a great time making dust baths in it. Although they quite enjoy the rain on their backs, I don't think they really like standing around in it! But that's just my own observations - maybe I pamper mine too much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda newbie Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 I have bought all my food, beddding etc from Welland Valley Feeds. I also found them very helpful as I am a novice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted November 28, 2007 Author Share Posted November 28, 2007 off to welland valley feeds to swap my straw tomorrow for auboise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted November 29, 2007 Author Share Posted November 29, 2007 went out to swap my straw, and got hemcore. anyway i got home and un be known to the oh i caught him in the act...............................yes he was showing off the hen house and run to 2 of his work collegues, as they were admiring the "wonderful job" of ""OUR"" work:evil: , hubby then stated that he would like to extend the run next summer with perhaps another house at the other end. i'm sure he's gone completely potty - last night he suggested that we get another kitten:shock: and he's offered to look after his workmates hamster for 3 months whilst they go off to oz. CHEEK OF IT... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda newbie Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Thats wonderful they'll be his chickens next. I am using hemcore and it seems to work really well. But don't know how the heck I am ever going to get into the run to clear it out. Does it go on the compost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERTIE MCSQUIRTY Posted November 29, 2007 Author Share Posted November 29, 2007 Thats wonderful they'll be his chickens next. I am using hemcore and it seems to work really well. But don't know how the heck I am ever going to get into the run to clear it out. Does it go on the compost? as you will soon see, my run opens from every angle, so i can just rake it out etc when needing a change and pop it into the compost box. i have popped into the run, the ashes from my fire, i thought that they would like this for scratching around in i did read somewhere that this was ok. this morning i have been doing last minute jobs to the housing and run such as security measures. i noticed that the roof had leaked a little, then found the gap and sorted that out, fortunately that was quite easy and the roof is definitely water tight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda newbie Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 I am so impressed. I wouldn't know where to start. I have a leaking downstairs toilet????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 I am so impressed. I wouldn't know where to start. I have a leaking downstairs toilet????? Congratulations!! Seriously, all you need is food, garlic, and horsey type bedding to start with. Oh, and some chickens! (Can you tell I've been at the vin rouge again?!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda newbie Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 snap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Amanda you need a long handled rake to clear out the eglu run! I either put it in the compost; use it to mulch the flower beds or dig it into the bare veggie bed ready for planting in the spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...