I have just changed my hen's bedding from straw to a product called "bliss",it is shredded straw which has had the dust extracted and a very mild deodorant put in.It seems much easier to clean and more hygenic all round,first day with it yesterday and today not one of my 18 hens has laid is this coincidence or could it really have had such a drastic effect on them?If so how long before they adapt do you think?Also has anyone else tried this bedding and what do you think of it.
bedding
- Thread starter Martdog3
- Start date
chrismahon
Well-known member
We alternate from Aubiose to wood shavings without any noticeable effect. Neither smells much. Perhaps the deodorant has made the coop smell different, to the extent that they think they have been moved? They should be back to normal very quickly. But you didn't say how many eggs you were getting before the change Martdog? This is the time of year with the short days they may stop laying anyway and perhaps the effect is co-incidental?
foxy
Active member
I find products such as Bliss aren't quite as good this time of year where the damp weather, and birds spending longer gets the bedding quite wet, whereas products such as Easibed and Aubiose absorb any damp much more effectively. Saying all that in the warm, dry months I find chopped straw much better as Aubiose can get quite dusty.
Are these the same hens you had last year? If so, their ability to lay as often as they used to may affect the slowdown, as well as normal seasonal factors. A year is a long time in the productive life of a hen, and the ones who are the best layers in their early seasons use up their egg cells faster than those who spread things out over a longer period.
How old are they now! And what breed of hens?
If the bedding you use in the coop isnt dusty, and if the hens are roosting on perches and not in contact with it, I cant see that whatever you use will have any effect whatsoever. Its just what's most convenient for you when cleaning out.
How old are they now! And what breed of hens?
If the bedding you use in the coop isnt dusty, and if the hens are roosting on perches and not in contact with it, I cant see that whatever you use will have any effect whatsoever. Its just what's most convenient for you when cleaning out.
Are they hybrid egg layers or purebreds? If purebreds its quite normal for them to slow down or stop in winter, and a second- year hybrid egglayer may be taking a break and doing a moult at this stage. But first- year egglaying hybrids should notmally carry on quite well through their first autumn and winter, maybe slow down a bit but not stop.
Had you ever thought of training them to perch properly? It shouldn't be difficult if you're prepared to go out and lift them up on to the perches after roosting time for a few nights, so long as the perches are the right height and wide enough to be comfortable. Of course if they are heavy breeds they do prefer to sit on the floor.
Had you ever thought of training them to perch properly? It shouldn't be difficult if you're prepared to go out and lift them up on to the perches after roosting time for a few nights, so long as the perches are the right height and wide enough to be comfortable. Of course if they are heavy breeds they do prefer to sit on the floor.
