Bedding Experiment Results

[GetFitWithKrista]

Landscape supply companies can possibly have some. Main reason to get them from tree trimmers is 1) free or low cost and 2) recycles local materials that often get thrown away.

It's superior due to the drainage and aeration it provides.

My good friend is a landscaper. I just asked him about it. Waiting for his response. Thanks so much for the tip. Do you use them, as well?

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

I do not, I doubt it.
Plus you need space to store a huge pile out of the way.


IMO it's the perfect material for long term cold composting of poops in a run.
Smaller more delicate organic and wood products disappear much faster.

I like that they last longer. Less change out and less waste. Really appreciate the advice, thanks.

 

[aart]

I like that they last longer. Less change out and less waste.

I have never changed out any run bedding, just added some as needed.
Tho after almost ten years, the ground level has risen enough that I should probably remove some.
I keep about 2-3", no need for more.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

I have never changed out any run bedding, just added some as needed.
Tho after almost ten years, the ground level has risen enough that I should probably remove some.
I keep about 2-3", no need for more.

Again, really helpful info. Thanks a lot.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My good friend is a landscaper. I just asked him about it. Waiting for his response. Thanks so much for the tip. Do you use them, as well?

Yes I also use coarse wood chips. I get them from my own yard, as we need tree service every few years anyhow.

 

[Hummingbird Meadows WA]

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

I am very new to raising chickens but I did find a pretty good price for Hemp bedding. I haven't used it yet but the price is lower than anywhere else.

https://www.odhemp.com/shop/large-animal-bedding-33-pound-bag/

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

I am very new to raising chickens but I did find a pretty good price for Hemp bedding. I haven't used it yet but the price is lower than anywhere else.

https://www.odhemp.com/shop/large-animal-bedding-33-pound-bag/

Thanks for sharing this info. This is a great price and I did see Old Dominion in my research. The problem for me is that the shipping costs as much as the bedding. I suppose if you can pick up in person you won't do much better than $31 for 33 lbs. It's unfortunate. It's hard to find hemp bedding that can be shipped for a decent shipping cost. Thanks again for chiming in.

 

[Hummingbird Meadows WA]

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

How did Industrial Hemp measure on smell? I currently use pine shavings and the smell gets awful pretty quickly!

 

[Hummingbird Meadows WA]

I am very new to raising chickens but I did find a pretty good price for Hemp bedding. I haven't used it yet but the price is lower than anywhere else.

https://www.odhemp.com/shop/large-animal-bedding-33-pound-bag/

I found this same thing a while ago...I am very new to all of this also. I really want to use this or sand but I am trying to find out which is the easiest/least smelly! ha

 

[Hummingbird Meadows WA]

Yes - it was a video:

Please let me know your thoughts after you've watched it

What about managing smell?