Free A Family Guide To Keeping Chickens by Anne Perdeaux Page B

car and somehow ratty sniffed it out. We never discovered how he got in, but for weeks afterwards I had visions of a whiskery face peering at me through the air vents.
    So store your feed carefully and sweep up any spillages. Containers need to be secure and airtight – damp feed quickly goes mouldy and will have to be thrown away. Keep your feed container under cover, for example in a shed or garage.
    You can buy proper storage bins, but unless you need to keep large quantities of feed, a dustbin is cheaper and will take a 20-kg feed bag with room to spare. If you have several chickens an extra bin will allow you to store a reserve bag, but chicken feed has ‘use by’ dates so it’s not a good idea to stockpile.

    Small feed storage bin

    Larger storage bins can be divided into compartments
    Metal bins are more expensive but more secure. Rats have been known to chew through the plastic variety – although unless you have a real rodent problem, a heavy-duty plastic dustbin should do the job. Make sure the lid fits snugly and stand the bin above ground level if there is a possibility of damp.
    A spare bin is useful for storing the chicken feeder overnight. Leftover food shouldn’t be returned to the feed bag but if it hasn’t got damp it can be used the next day. Always remove the feeder at night – even if empty it will attract vermin and their droppings can spread disease.
Providing a Dust-Bath
    You should provide a dust-bath if your chickens aren’t able to make one – or if you wish to dissuade free-ranging chickens from making one in the garden.
    A shallow plastic storage box, a sandpit tray or even an old tyre could be used. A lid keeps the soil dry in wet weather and prevents cats using it at night. Cardboard quickly disintegrates and the chickens will eat it.
    The box should be two-thirds filled with fine, dry soil or play sand – sharp sand can irritate the chickens’ eyes. Wood ash mixed into the soil will make it lighter.
    Some poultry equipment stores sell dust-bath trays and suitable sand.
    Place the dust-bath in a dry area, away from food and water containers. Make sure other animals can’t use the dust-bath as a toilet and that children don’t mistake it for a sandpit.

    You can make or buy a dust-bath – this one has its own cover . . .

    . . . and can also be used to keep feed dry

    Chickens naturally like to perch so supply some branches in the run
Giving Chickens Some Fun in their Run
    Chickens enjoy perching during the day and some runs come equipped with perches. Otherwise you could add some branches or logs.
    You can even buy a ‘chicken gym’ – complete with ladders, perches and hooks to hang treats.
    Keeping confined chickens occupied helps prevent anti-social behaviour.

    Or buy them a gym!
Selecting Bedding
    Bedding should be absorbent and as dust-free as possible. Dust-extracted shavings are commonly used but shredded hemp is also becoming popular. Buying large bales is more economical if you have somewhere dry to store them.
    Hemp is more expensive than shavings but four times more absorbent, and some brands have added eucalyptus fragrance.
    Straw can be dusty and may harbour mites. It is also less absorbent than shavings and should be turned over regularly to prevent it becoming compacted. Chopped straw is better and is sold dust-extracted for poultry.
    Hay isn’t suitable because it can harbour spores and moulds. Sawdust can cause eye irritation and breathing problems.
    Shredded paper tends to blow about and make a mess but there have been good reviews for shredded cardboard, which is more absorbent and composts easily.
    You will need enough bedding to cover the floor of the henhouse to a depth of about 2 cm, with a thicker layer for the nest-boxes.
Keeping Things Clean
Equipment
    A small shovel and a large bucket are the basic requirements, along with a stiff brush. A scraper is ideal for removing cement-like droppings. You can buy these items from poultry or hardware stores