Smelly chicken run

[jadavi]

We have had our chooks 2 weeks and its going great - even the dog is getting used to them.
But the three foot run is definitely whiffy now - maybe stirred up by the rain.
Should I sprinkle stalosan on the earth? It looks a bit chemical ...
Have ordered wood chips from the garden Centre but I see on US chicken forums they recommend sand.
What do you use?
Any tips appreciated
Still no eggs ... They are 21 weeks now.

[FussyElmo]

I just use sawdust. Never needed anything else. Mine dont tend to do much poohing in the run. Outside in their garden however is another story.

Your chickens may not start laying till 24 weeks.

The thing on top of their head (sorry forgot the technical term) what colour is it? I was told once it turned red that was an indication of them being ready to lay.

[jadavi]

Thanks fussy Elmo they had a few chases round the garden from the dog so that may have stressed them into not laying.
I was told dust is bad for their lungs?
We were gonna try wood chips next week - what do you think?

[jadavi]

I don't think it's poo - may be wee! Do you use stalosan?

[FussyElmo]

I have only used sawdust in the coop and run straw in their nesting boxes. Mine are let out all day though.

Dogs and chickens poor things. One of my dogs likes to play with them she doesnt know she can hurt them though. She did hurt one once but luckily the chicken survived im more vigilant now.

[sarahmc]

I have only used sawdust in the coop and run straw in their nesting boxes. Mine are let out all day though.

Dogs and chickens poor things. One of my dogs likes to play with them she doesnt know she can hurt them though. She did hurt one once but luckily the chicken survived im more vigilant now.

One of my neighbours dogs got into our garden and had 4 of mine but the 2 timid chickens hid. 1 got attacked and we googled how to do ' the deed' but left it quietly in its box. Next day up and wobbling about and now is the most beautiful arrogant in your face chicken ever! Mine have laid 1 egg a day since 24weeks.

[Dragonfly]

I use wood chip in the run ( when people have chopped a tree down and put the branches through a chipper don't know what they are called) wood shavings in the coop.pick up as much poo as you can each day.Hens will lay soon could be up to 25/26 wks their COMB gets really red.but stress will sometimes delay it.

[FussyElmo]

I use wood chip in the run ( when people have chopped a tree down and put the branches through a chipper don't know what they are called) wood shavings in the coop.pick up as much poo as you can each day.Hens will lay soon could be up to 25/26 wks their COMB gets really red.but stress will sometimes delay it.

Thats it their comb. Doh brain dead moment for me.

[Samcat]

We use bark chippings in our run. The run can get smelly if it gets wet.
I add garlic powder to their food - it helps stop smelly poos. The white bit on the top of the poo is the chicken equivalent of wee.
We got 2 new chickens last August at point of lay. One laid the following day, the other one has oddly enough, taken another 6 months to mature, for her comb to grow and turn red and for her to start laying. Don't know what was going on there!

[Petshrinklj]

I have wood chips down in run and use ground sanitising powder sprinkled on. Once I day I pick up any big poos and put it in composter. And clean house out properly once a week. That's kept smells away for my chickens.

[jadavi]

Thanks. Two have red combs so hopeful ....

Cheers

[clareelizabeth1]

I don't use anything up until mr fox paid a visit ours roamed free apart from the week following all the farmers planting their crop. Turns out 13 chickens can get through a lot of field.

Now only have two chickens. Mr fox came during the day too and even in front of us took one. So poor chickens are locked up all the time now. So glad you did this thread as now I know what to do.

[jadavi]

Wow day time foxery... Horrible for you :(

[CLL]

I would love chickens. I want a 'nogg'. My dh does not want them though. Do they really smell that bad? Do they need a large run? Do they take lots of looking after? Are they good for the kids? Do you find parents like/dislike you having them? Cheers in advance.

[CLL]

Ok so I have been looking at chickens online now and I really want some. What type do you all have?

[jadavi]

Everyone is happy with them - hope Ofsted will be . Not a lot of looking after and feel sure the powder and wood chip will put paid to the smell.
Not cheap tho......
Chicks cost £10 each
2nd hand coop cost £100 eBay
Food and bits and pieces for a couple of months Cost nearly £100 - special disinfectant and water purifier and de- worm and the hay, mash , corn and crushed shell etc etc feeders.
I maybe was a mug but just got what I was told in the hen shop... There's prob cheaper ways if you know someone who can advise....
But have wanted to try it all my life and I realised if I didn't do it now with the mindee children as my excuse then I never would.
Dying to have daily eggs.
Love feeding them all my scraps every day,

[jadavi]

Most are a cross of Rhode Island

[Samcat]

They aren't smelly really, just when there's a fresh poo - like everyone else! You don't need a large run. I've got an Omlet Cube and I've had 4 in the run that comes with that. I currently have three. I think they they look happier when they've got more space though.
The children like taking veg scraps up the garden to them and will stand watching them for ages. I give the chickens their treats though as they'll peck at anything and everything thinking it's food, so I keep reminding the children not to put their fingers close to the run.
I've not had a parent say 'eww chickens' yet. They usually say 'x loves chickens'. So it's not been a problem.
It's nice having chickens, but the eggs probably work out far more expensive than shop bought in the long run. As our first lot of chickens matured, they all stopped laying at the same time, so we had virtually no eggs for about 6 months.

[jadavi]

Sorry - Rhode Island Red and Sussex white.

I asked for the most friendly and stable breed to be good with kids screaming and not be neurotic!!

[Samcat]

We had a Sussex white hybrid and a blue hybrid and found they were really skittish and difficult to handle. In our experience your common brown chickens are far more easy going, easy to handle and lay more eggs.

[Petshrinklj]

I have white Sussex and am getting a couple of rescue battery hens in a few weeks £3 donation each). I have a plastic hen house (eglu) which is very low maintenance no trouble with red mites etc and fox proof. The expensive bits is coop and feed etc. i havent found anywhere local selling feed and delivery costs from poultry websites are scary. I don't find my hens pen smelly at all. But I do keep on top of cleaning as I worry about neighbours complaining.

[sarahmc]

We have spent most of the day making a secure part of the garden for the chickens to be free range. My 2 chickens are very friendly and come when they are called, they know they get food.
I get their food from The Range or Pets at home sell big sacks which are cheaper. After initial outlay of coop and feeders not to expensive and 2 eggs a day are definitely worth it. Mine are ex battery hens, £3 donation each and the change since they arrived is amazing.
The children spend ages watching and feeding them. Definitely a good learning tool.

[newbie]

We have 4 brown hybrids and its the best thing I have ever done! The parents think its great and the mindees love collecting eggs in the morning. Since a fox visit, our chickens are in a permanent cage but it is huge and they love it .:)

[hectors house]

Love feeding them all my scraps every day,

Have been given an old wooden chicken coop just waiting for dh to build me a fox proof run - I was reading on internet the other day about how to keep chickens and the website said the Dept for agriculture said it is illegal to feed chickens household waste - I knew you couldn't feed them any meat scraps but I was hoping I could feed them veg peelings, cauliflower & broccoli stalks and stale bread etc - what sort of scraps are you allowed to feed them?

[Petshrinklj]

Raw potato is toxic to em so don't give them potato peelings. Don't give them meat lie you said. Mine love apple and pear cores. And they got nuts for sweet corn.

[hectors house]

I currently save carrot peelings, cauliflower & broccoli stalks, end of the cucumber, past it lettuce etc for a mindees Guinea pigs I guess I will be feeding all these to my chickens (when dh builds the run!). What about bread, broken biscuits, stale cakes are they allowed these in moderation or do they have no nutritional value?

[FussyElmo]

Im a little bit cautious of what I feed mine. One of mine got sour crop and died :( So they only have veg if its been boiled :)

However saying that if they get out of their bit they have no qualms about feasting in my veg patch :laughing::laughing:

[jadavi]

I give mine everything we throw away - not banana or orange peel oruncooked potato peel but everything else (not eggs)