Chippings or no chippings

[hedgehogsdad]

Hi

I'm about to introduce our hens to their new home, a Green Frog chicken lodge. It came with two droppings trays and I wondered whether they should go into the coop with chippings in them or not. I'm guessing that chippings help keep things clean, but am worried that they also provide a great home for red mite?

Any experiences or advice would be gratefully received.

 

[Marigold]

My Green Frog Medium lodge hasn't bit droppings trays, just a flat floor inside which is very easy to clean. You do need something on the floor to catch the droppings and make them easy to pick up and remove. You can use several layers of newspaper, and then just make a parcel of the top layer every day, removing the droppings parcel to the compost heap. Or you can line the floor with something like woodshavings, or preferably Aubiose, which is much more absorbent, and then just remove any soiled areas next day. Either of these would be OK in the nestboxes as well, don't use straw as it's not very absorbent, more difficult to poo pick, and the hollow stems may harbour redmite. I'm not sure what you mean by chippings - if you mean woodchippings such as you may be using on the run floor, these are not so absorbent and wouldn't do the job so effectively. It's not necessary to keep the hens warm by providing a very thick layer of insulation on the floor - they won't be in contact with it and won't get cold up on their perches either.
Any kind of absorbent layer on the floor is a potential home for redmite, but you have to use something easily removeable to keep the coop clean and fresh. Whatever you use, you just have to ensure you don't leave dirty layers untouched for long enough for a colony to get going. Just basic cleanliness really, then the coop will always be clean and fresh- smelling - let your nose be the guide!

 

[hedgehogsdad]

Sorry I meant shavings rather than clippings!

Really helpful, as ever and shavings in place. Just need to persuade the hens that the new house is better than the old....

Thanks again

 

[foxy]

I use good dust extracted fine wood shavings in the summer, then change to aubiose in the winter when the air is more damp and the birds are in their henhouses for longer in the short winter days. Aubiose is designed to be highly absorbent, however a little too dusty for me in the summer. I think there are good quality hemp based products as well which do the job well. Straw is fine, more a personal choice, I use a lot in the nestboxes and also a thick layer for the duck houses so always have plenty around the place. Chickens however are just as happy with a thick layer of shavings in the nestboxes.

 

[chrismahon]

We operate exactly the same system as Foxy -shavings in Summer and Aubiose as the weather gets damp. We use wood shavings in the nest boxes but they do prefer hay because they can make little nests in it. That hay nesting may be why we get so many broodies though?