Bedding Experiment Results

[GetFitWithKrista]

I thought this was interesting and wanted to share it with you. I found an experiment that was performed on 6 common chicken bedding materials: Pine Shavings, Straw, Dried Leaves, Horse Pellets, Sawdust and Industrial Hemp. They were tested to see which is the most absorbent.

Here is a summary:

DUST
No Dust:
- Industrial hemp
- Horse pellets
Average Dust:
- Dried Leaves
- Pine shavings
- Straw
Excessive Dust:
- Saw dust

ABSORPTION (when soaking)
Best:
- Straw
- Saw dust
- Industrial hemp
Poor:
- Pine shavings
- Horse pellets
- Dried leaves

ABSORPTION (8 oz of water in 1 cubic feet of bedding - more realistic than soaking)
Best:
- Industrial hemp
- Saw dust (swarmed by flies after sitting)
- Horse pellets (swarmed by flies after sitting)
Poor:
- Straw
- Pine wood
- Dried leaves


DUST & ABSORBENCY SUMMARY:
Any would be fine as long as you understand the pros and cons of each.

Saw Dust
Pros
- Best overall absorbency
Cons
- Major downside in dustiness
- Can be hard to get
- Can take a long time to dry leading to moisture and ammonia problems

Straw
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Easy to get
Cons
- Can be messy to work with
- Has some dust
- Allows a lot of liquid to pass to the bottom of the coop causing potential smell and mold issues

Dried Leaves
Pros
- Easily accessible
Note
- Experimenter uses them in his run but not in his coop because they don't absorb enough moisture to be used as a main source of bedding

Pine Shavings
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Easy to get
Cons
- Allows a lot of liquid to pass to the bottom of the coop causing potential smell and mold issues

Horse Pellets
Pros
- Performed well
- Absorbency was similar to saw dust
Cons
- Retains a lot of moisture
- Takes a lot of time to dry causing problems with smells and ammonia

Industrial Hemp
Pros
- Dust free
- Easy to work with (not messy like with pine shavings and saw dust)
- Great absorbency
Cons
- Has a higher upfront cost but this is offset by the fact that for most people 1 bale would last 1 year


OVERALL WINNER according to testing: INDUSTRIAL HELP

 

[Gigachad poultry]

wow this was helpful to read. i really like the brand i'm using. However i do think i need a backup and a good one, just in case you know.

 

[Sally PB]

Gonna jump in here... I had a link to where I ordered hemp, but can't find it. Google shows lots of sources...
https://www.google.com/search?q=hem...712,iid:14044777734833895639,pvt:hg&oshop=apv

Remember the $39 I got it for (your other thread)? Weeeelllll... I'm seeing more like $69 for a bale now.

 

[Sally PB]

WAIT!!! I found it!!!
https://americanhempllc.com/pages/hemp-chicken-bedding

$33, plus shipping.

@GetFitWithKrista

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Gonna jump in here... I had a link to where I ordered hemp, but can't find it. Google shows lots of sources...
https://www.google.com/search?q=hem...712,iid:14044777734833895639,pvt:hg&oshop=apv

Remember the $39 I got it for (your other thread)? Weeeelllll... I'm seeing more like $69 for a bale now.

Wow, that is significantly more... like every other good. I read that it only needs to be changed every 2 years or so. How often does the straw need to be changed? I wonder if there's a difference. The hemp could be more up front but about the same in the long run.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

wow this was helpful to read. i really like the brand i'm using. However i do think i need a backup and a good one, just in case you know.

Hey there Gigachad. What are you currently using?

I'm new to the chicken life and found this while I was digging around for info. We need someone to direct us on where to buy hemp for a reasonable price.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

WAIT!!! I found it!!!
https://americanhempllc.com/pages/hemp-chicken-bedding

$33, plus shipping.

@GetFitWithKrista

Wow! Well done, Sally PB! Thanks for this

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

It's $80 for 33lb of hemp bedding at Tractor Supply and about the same on Amazon.

Chewy has a less expensive one but it didn't get good reviews.

 

[bhaugh]

I’m a diehard pellet person. If you’ve ever raised quail chicks you know smell. I’d like to try hemp but it’s just too pricy for me. Pine needles work well but I wouldn’t use it for nest boxes and such

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

I’m a diehard pellet person. If you’ve ever raised quail chicks you know smell. I’d like to try hemp but it’s just too pricy for me. Pine needles work well but I wouldn’t use it for nest boxes and such

It sounds like any of the materials would work well. I know most people have their preferred way of doing things. I thought it was interesting that someone tested them. I have heard that the pellets work well. Hemp is definitely expensive. I wonder if it holds up longer?