What do you put under your perches and in your nesting boxes ?

[Perris]

Shavings used here too.

Sometimes I clean the floor (lino) and replace the water.

Replacing the water every day, rather than occasionally, is probably the simplest and most effective way to ensure the health of your flock.

 

[Loving my girls]

It is the mineral zeolite.
Sold in the US as 'Sweet PDZ stall freshener' in the horse section of farm stores in powder and granulated forms.
It absorbs ammonia and some liquid.
Many, including me, use it on poop boards under the roosts in the chicken coop.

Ooh, sounds good. I’ve had a look online and it doesn’t seem to be about but that doesn’t mean anything as the websites aren’t good over here. I will certainly keep an eye out for it in the shops. Thank you.

 

[Loving my girls]

Hemp in both is fine, that's what I currently have. Personal preference, I'll likely switch out of hemp in the nests soon only because the smaller particles stick to the bloom more than larger shavings, but no the birds don't get confused as to where to lay.

Yes I’ve found that with the bloom. I’ve looked around and can’t seem to get shavings locally and a two hour drive isn’t really an option
Never heard of it called the bloom but it makes sense, I’ve always likened it to wd40 or Vaseline In future I will call it the bloom, I am learning so much from this site

 

[Loving my girls]

Shavings used here too.

Replacing the water every day, rather than occasionally, is probably the simplest and most effective way to ensure the health of your flock.

I have a 3 litre container, one of those upside down, moat type thing. I have 8 hens so it does get changed fairly often. In the summer it gets changed everyday as I put an ice pack in all the outside water containers for all the animals. Sometimes, when it’s really hot i put fresh ones in at lunch time. The girlz also have water misters which they run through with their wings out (well, Tilly and Hilda do) it’s lovely to watch. The cats sleep under the misters too. I keep a water trough under the misters with pieces of water melon and sweetcorn in. I like to pamper my girlz
Sorry I’m rambling, I do that, I think they are okay with the water. What’s your opinion now I’ve expanded my comments.

 

[Perris]

I have a 3 litre container, one of those upside down, moat type thing. I have 8 hens so it does get changed fairly often. In the summer it gets changed everyday as I put an ice pack in all the outside water containers for all the animals. Sometimes, when it’s really hot i put fresh ones in at lunch time. The girlz also have water misters which they run through with their wings out (well, Tilly and Hilda do) it’s lovely to watch. The cats sleep under the misters too. I keep a water trough under the misters with pieces of water melon and sweetcorn in. I like to pamper my girlz
Sorry I’m rambling, I do that, I think they are okay with the water. What’s your opinion now I’ve expanded my comments.

It does indeed sound like you pamper your girls, and the misters sound like fun.

Drinking water is sometimes described as the most important nutrient for chickens. Fresh, clean water is the easiest way to avoid the various water-borne diseases they might encounter during the day. It's also important to clean the vessel the water is in; the green algae that forms inevitably if it's not, can be toxic. See e.g. "It can grow in any stagnant water source, such as poultry waterers, water troughs...

See more at: https://poultrydvm.com/condition/blue-green-algae-poisoning
https://poultrydvm.com/condition/blue-green-algae-poisoning

 

[aart]

Ooh, sounds good. I’ve had a look online and it doesn’t seem to be about but that doesn’t mean anything as the websites aren’t good over here. I will certainly keep an eye out for it in the shops. Thank you.

I've seen some folks in EU find zeolite as a garden soil additive.

 

[Loving my girls]

It does indeed sound like you pamper your girls, and the misters sound like fun.

Drinking water is sometimes described as the most important nutrient for chickens. Fresh, clean water is the easiest way to avoid the various water-borne diseases they might encounter during the day. It's also important to clean the vessel the water is in; the green algae that forms inevitably if it's not, can be toxic. See e.g. "It can grow in any stagnant water source, such as poultry waterers, water troughs...

See more at: https://poultrydvm.com/condition/blue-green-algae-poisoning
https://poultrydvm.com/condition/blue-green-algae-poisoning

 

[Loving my girls]

I've seen some folks in EU find zeolite as a garden soil additive.

Actually I’ve just looked into it and, unfortunately, it involves open pit mining which makes it a no for me. But thanks for the info anyway