[rosegarden]

The girls have arrived we picked tem up yesterday and I've just been to look at them and they seem very settled.  They were a bit confussed last night about the coop and we used a torch to guide them in which was a very good tip I read in a book.  They all came out this morning a started eating the layers pellets  - so far so good!!!  My question to the forum is about the flooring - this is something that has been bothering me since we decided to keep a few hens.  We have a run built on concrete slabs and after some thought we decided to put a layer of hardwood chips down 3" thick and easibed in the coop.  My problem now is that it was easier to poop pick in the coop off the easibed than it was in the run because everytime you pick up poop in the run it is stuck to a piece of chip!! and the chip is going to disappear over the next few weeks.  Do I top up the chips with easibed or replace the chips completely with easibed to make poop picking easier? Also should I be putting powder in the run everyday to keep it clean?  any advice would be apprecated.  There is quite a bit of poop for three girls!!!!!!!!!

[BobE]

This thread is some previouse advice given to a new keeper.  It will be worth a read.  And there's a few pics.


http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=108528.msg1223908#msg1223908

[splash101]

I use easibed everywhere.
In the coop, in in the run that is only partly covered, in my aviary and in the rabbit hutches under the straw/hay.

I pick up as much poop as possible. Every week i rake it over and only use stalosan powder perhaps once a month. Its a decent size run but i only have bantams that dont produce as much poop as regular size chickens. You may need to use stalosan more frequently depending on the size of your run but not daily.

In the run i use a deep layer so when the uncovered part gets wet, it doesnt turn into a mud bath. It dries out fairly quickly too, unlike shavings that i find once they are wet, they stay wet and congeal.

I pay £6.40 for a huge bale 20kg i think it is

Chickens do poop a lot    and stomp it everywhere!

[rosegarden]

Thanks Splash101 you have confirmed what I had been thinking but ite great to see it in black and white!!! I took out more poop this morning and out came some more woodchip too!!! will be getting easibed on Sat.