[Little Red Hen]

Hi Everyone!  The help that I get from this forum is priceless.  We'll be getting our chickens in three weeks' time and have started to buy the supplies for them.  After a talk on the forum here, I realised that the hen house and run was half the size I would need for four chickens.  So then I thought I would go with Bantams, but my husband put his two cents worth in, and now we are back to the big girls.  So two days ago, I bought another hen house and run, the same as the first one and we will attach the two together.  Whew!  Sorry for the epic!  Anyways, the intergrated houses and runs will be on concrete and I can't remember if I should put wood chips down or bark chips.  I remember that they should be about 6 inches deep.  I saw rubber chips at the garden centre today.  Would they do?  I want the very best for my girls.  I have Easibed for in the hen house and laying boxes.  Thank you for patiently reading this long one!

[smiler43]

Woodchip is best, bark has spores in it that are bad for chooks.  Not sure you'll need that much depth.  Mine is soil based with about an inch or so of woodchip, but I replace it about every month, when it starts to break down.  I do clean the poo out everyday though, so 6 inch would be a lot to wade through me thinks.  Sure you will get advice from lots of people on here.

[Sparr0wman]

Yeh, this is a question i was going to ask soon so i'm very intersted in what everyone else does.
Cleaning wood chip out every day sounds expensive.

[smiler43]

Just pick the poo out :o)  Obviously a small amount of woodchip goes as well but clean hens are healthy hens and I get a bucket of poo a week!!!  They are poo machines!

[anitaws]

Thanks Little Red Hen for starting this thread.

We are looking forward to getting 3 hens in 3 weeks as well.  We have paved the bottom of our run area and have bought compost, Bob thinks it can end up on his veg patch afterwards, for on top.  We are also laying a path.  What are your thoughts about mixing any spare sand in with the compost for the girls.  As Bob suggested this I don't think he'll mind the sand on his veg patch when we clean out.

Anita

[wafflycat]

Woodchip is best, bark has spores in it that are bad for chooks.  Not sure you'll need that much depth.  Mine is soil based with about an inch or so of woodchip, but I replace it about every month, when it starts to break down.  I do clean the poo out everyday though, so 6 inch would be a lot to wade through me thinks.  Sure you will get advice from lots of people on here.

I currently have wood chippings on the floor of the run for The Laydeez. Keeping it clean, removing the poo, on a daily basis takes very little time. The Laydeez love scratching about in it for *things*

[smiler43]

Anitaws....sure the sand will be fine, be great for the compost.  I have a bucket a week from my 3 girls and give it away at the moment as my compost bins are full.  People especially veg growers love it!

[LittleRedHen]

Where would I get wood chips please?  I didn't see any of those at the garden centre - just bark chips.  We are going to use the poo in the compost bin.  That should heat it up nicely!  LOL!  Chicken manure is very hot fertiliser and so I thought that a stint in the composter would give it time to "chill" a bit.  We'll have to post pictures when our ladies finally arrive home!  

[LittleRedHen]

Smilie - how many chickens do you have?  I never thought of just "how much" poo there would be with four chickens.  Glad I have a fresh roll of heavy duty bin bags in the garage!  I have a feeling they might be used for the extra surplus.  What goes in must come out! :blink:

[ceri green]

hello little red hen and welcome 
you can get bales of woodchips from any horse feed supplier, and also i know that pets r us ( or whatever it's called) does them too although they're more expensive from there. you could pay in the region of £7 for a bale but if you  sprinkle a layer and just pick out the poos daily ( Does't take long - honest - i use a paint scraper/cat litter scoop and rubber gloves. and bucket..all done in 5 mins) and then replace with literally a handful or two, then a bale will last months!
I also use flax bedding ( when shavings weren't available) which is just as good and i'm told rots down quicker. it's also slightly cheaper as it doesn't have vat on it.
hope this helps
ceri

[smiler43]

LittleRedHen.....I have 3 girls, 2 Amberlinks and a Warren (she's my fav!)  I was surprised how much poo they produce.  I daily pick poo from the shed run and garden, doesn't take long at all.  Pair of metal salad tongs does the trick, the ones with like spoons on, very easy.  You know anyone with veg patch or lottie to take the poo to, sure they'd appreciate it.

[LittleRedHen]

I think I have a spare kitty scooper as we have an indoor cat.  In fact, her kitten sand tray is now going to be the dust bath in the run.  We, too, will be letting them free range in the garden, weather permitting.  I'll be sure to check out out local Giant Pet Store as I got the last bale of Easibed for only £7 there yesterday.  I'll look for both wood chips and flax bedding there.  If I can do the sand tray then I can pick up chicken poo!   Thanks for all your help! 

[smiler43]

I get a big bale of wood chip from B&Q £4.95 I think.  But never thought to look at horse places I know one near here but there stuff is usaully expensive! 

Do local councils have any does anyone know. They go round chopping trees down and shredding it?