[hamcat]

hi there got 3 girls two weeks ago started with turfs in run no good to smelly. can anyone tell me the best wood chippings to get . thanks hamcat

[Tazzy]

I use wood shavings that have been steamed off the timber at my local rustic furniture maker. He leaves them in a pile for ages, so when I've collected a few bags they tend to be full of bugs that my girls love - plus I know that no unpleasant chemicals have been anywhere near them

[Wild Pony]

I use a brand called snowflake, its the same as my horse, its been dust extracted and comes in 120 litre bales from your local agri merchant. It stays bouncy and helps he birds hide the eggs if you got egg eaters.

[cheriton]

Hi Hamcat,
Congratulations on getting your chickens  . I got my girls at Easter and initially used free and clean wood shavings from my husbands workshop they went mushy when it rained and did smell within a day or 2 despite poo picking. After reading the information on the site and on advice from Aunt Sally I changed to Hemcore it smells of citronella it keeps the coop and run smelling nice, stays fine in the rain and composts well. I think I paid around£9 for a bale ( in plastic sack) from my local horse riding school. I am now able to poo pick most of the poo out, the hemcore tends to keep it in little lumps so I am not cleaning the run out totally every day.
Carol 

[Wild Pony]

Another good one is a horse bedding called Medibed, I have used a local one  to our Cornish agri shop called Cousin Jack, both are a chop straw type bedding, the CJ one I know has been treated with eucalyptus, don't know about the Medibed. But I have found it has kept the red mite at bay so far, and certainly unwanted lodgers on the pig.