The Poultry Keeper

Christine · Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 64 Location: somerset

My girls have just moved to a new home, they have an area 5meters by 5 meters, their eglu cube on one corner, a row of slabs around, and soil in the middle.

With 10 girls all doing their toilets in there, could you please advise on the best way to keep the soil area clean? I have heard that lime sprinkled on at night times sweetens the soil, but I am rather worried about this.

I thought about raking the top soil off every week and replacing it with a fine layer of bark chippings or something similar.

Their eglu cube is so easy to keep clean, I really want the rest of the area as hygienic as can be for them.

JC · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 1116 Location: Sussex

mine are on a pen 5x5, i dig it over every now and again. Thats about it, and dont use bark chips it can get fungus on it which releases spores into the air casuing lung problems. you can use wood chip though Smile

Phill · Joined: 16 Mar 2008 Posts: 163 Location: Essex

I have an eglu and I find the best way to keep the area clean is to rake the patch free of droppings, its very important to keep the ground they walk in poop free because over the summer it attracts flys.

every few days I move the run to a different patch to give the grass a chance to grow back.

I rake the area before the chickens come out because after their out its a bit tricky o.0

Auntie Noo · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 622 Location: Guildford

I have 5 hens on a 4 x 4 metre run.

I would suggest that from the point of view of "smells" etc it probably depends oon the type of soil you have. If you have clay/heavy soil then the pooh will sit on top and become a layer on its own, then when it rains... well that will be nice won't it!!

I am super lucky in that my soil is fine like dust so with them scratching around you're hard pressed to find any evidence of pooh at all - I certainly couldn't "muck out" as such because I'd never find it!!!

Over the winter I did put down a bale or two of straw to help with water when it was really raining a lot - they loved it too as it gave them plenty to scratch round in.

And I have just bought some Stalosan F to treat the soil with as I am sure that it will become stale in time - plus the stalosan helps with other problems like worms and other bugs and germs.

I got mine here at Regency Poultryif that helps?

Christine · Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 64 Location: somerset

Auntie noo, thank you.

Phil, mine too were on the grass, but now in their new run they don't have any., however, we have made an extension for them to come out and have a play on the grass as they love it so much.

The new run is covered, so rain not too much of a problem as the moment, as you said claire, my main worry was the harbouring of worms etc, although they are wormed regularly, I had heard that lime breaks down the cycle. However, I will avoid that as it sounds a bit too harsh, and will try the soil treatment you suggested.

I remove poop regularly, and have bought one of the red top fly killers just to be on the safe side, and as my neighbour has rabbits nearby, he is plagued by flies, so we will help him out as well.

claire, do you keep your girls in there when you treat the soil?

Thanks to you both.

Auntie Noo · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 622 Location: Guildford

Yes it says on the carton that it is perfectly safe to treat them in situ. - I bought the 8kg size and I can see it's going to last plenty long enough too, if that helps. It's approx 1handful per m, every day for 3 days when you first get it, then once a week after that, so it'll last ages.

Christine · Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 64 Location: somerset

Thank you claire.