New Chickens

[lottielady]

I have my 3 new girls and was looking for a little advice. I have put there run on bark chips and used shavings in their nest box and perch area.

I think I should clean out the box part every week but how often does the run need to be cleaned out and how oftern the chips replaced. Can I use hemcore or similar on the wood chips. What do you chaps clean out your wooden houses with in terms of disinfectant or cleaning spray and does anyone use diatameous earth powder and is it any good. Lots of questions but hopefully you can point me in the right direction. Thanks

[Bramble-Poultry]

the run needs to be cleaned immediatley ... bark chip is not good for chickens, it has a fungal spore that causes respiratory problems. The best and cheapest option for the run is straw. You clean the run out when it needs it - it really is that simple, when it looks all mucky then its time to clean it out - this can be every week in really bad weather or it can be longer - especially if you poo pick every day.

We clean our houses weekly and then use ***** fluid to disinfect them, we then spray for mite with smite or poultry shield just to stop them getting out of control. Diatameous earth is great for a small keeper to keep mites and lice in abayence, we use it occasionaly but it becomes expensive in the quantity we need it

hemcore is a great alternative in the house instead of shavings, we use hemcore here, but shavings are just as good!

Congrats on you new chickens by the way.

[lottielady]

thankyou very much for your help I shall go and get some straw today and clear out the wood chip good to speak to experienced keepers so I can get it right from the start it seems more complicated than when I got my dog but I am sure that it will get easier.

[MaureenHall]

Congratulations on getting your girls The cleaning out bit won't be a chore, the girls will "help" you I use the same routine as BP and things seem fine here

[Bramble-Poultry]

its never a chore, ok well maybe here it takes a little longer than for most, but each run only takes half hour or so, its no harder than cleaning out a rabbit - but they are a lot more rewarding to keep.

If you find your straw is not lasting too log then if possible try covering all or part your run with plastic sheets or similar, its the rain that does it - i find in all our covered runs that with regular poo picking the straw lasts for a month at least but in my non covered runs it never lasts as long especially if its wet it only seems to last a week!

I know people that half pave the runs in the open end of the run so that they can wash it down and straw the other half where its covered. Thinking of this ourselves!

[Snadger]

................................I know people that half pave the runs in the open end of the run so that they can wash it down and straw the other half where its covered. Thinking of this ourselves!

Thats a damm good idea! I purposely flagged the area where my Faverolle cockerel is because of his feathered feet, and it DOES make cleaning the run a lot easier. It's also quite laughable as as soon as they see me pick the hose up they go running for cover and there's a heck of a squabble as to who can get in the pophole first!

[MrsC]

I use straw and the run is covered on the top, I go out everyday and pick up the poo and clean the whole think out run and hen house every week, maybe i'm a bit mad about my girls! Spoil them rotten!

[Bramble-Poultry]

heheh snadger thats funny - I have to fight off the dog everytime I go near the hosepipe - she loves to chase the water coming out of the end.

Gonna have to "train" the chickens, I think inthe cochin run we might pave some of it because of their feathered feet and all this mud!!!