[NormandyMary]

Hi all. Can you tell me how often you clean your henhouses out? I do mine about twice a week, but wonder if its enough. They poo such a lot, great piles of it, Im wondering if I over feed them. Is that possible? They are very free range, they have about half an acre of field and garden to roam over, I give them about 8 oz of pellets, the same of crushed corn and wheat, thats between the 11 girls and Monty. Then, every other day usually, they have treats, bread, veggies, pasta or rice.

I just want to make sure Im doing it right!

Thanks, Mary.

By the way, the house is 6ft by 6ft, and 5 ft high, so I walk into it. It has 10 nesting boxes plus large perch.

[Lost in France]

Normandy Mary..sounds like your birds have a lovely house and your cleaning sounds just fine! I have 8 hens and a cockerel and clean mine a couple of times a week, one of these just the shelf and the other "full clean sheets!" I tend to do it when it needs it but now they have two henhouses, not as big as yours though, so they don't get too mucky! If they don't smell, you don't have lice or mites then you're doing just fine!

If you go back to UK then Smallholder does a couple of lovely smelling products for shaking on the bedding to deter lice and one for red mites. Don't know whether I'd trust then without Diatom but they make the henhouse smell gorgeous!! I used to say I'd sleep in the henhouse if it was bigger!!    Unfortunately, I've not been able to get them over here and do miss their lovely smell!

Judi

[Wildeone]

I have a shovel with hole in and every morning i just scrape up the poo and compost giving them more wood shavings and straw as they need it then once a month a full and complete clear out.

[Jellyhead]

Judi, do you buy Diatom here or is it called something else? I use something beginning with C :oops: sorry, having a jelly moment and cant remember the name.

[Lost in France]

Hi Jellyhead, no buy it from SPR Centre in UK and either collect if we're going or they post it over, although postage is dear. Haven't seen it over here, or anything like it.

Judi

[smiler43]

Hi NormandyMary, I've got a new gadget for collecting poo, stainless steel salad tongs, the ones that are attached together and are like big spoons at the end.  Excellent for picking out the poo in the house, although my house is only small, 3ftx3ft.  I also pick the poo off the garden with them.  They were only £1.99 too   The job only takes a few minutes, put it into a nappy sack, job done.