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

 

[Sally PB]

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

$33, plus shipping.

@GetFitWithKrista

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

I rewrote and deleted several things trying to talk about leaves in coop vs run. I have a space in a shed with an open side that functions as coop and run. So, I don't have experience with a typical run. In concept, I think a mixture of materials would work best - especially with a variety of textures. 3killerBs has explained it well, I'll try to find where but it may take awhile given what is going on in real life just now.

Yes, I've read 3killerBs info. It's great and helped a lot with my understanding. Yes, a few people have mentioned a mixture.

What I meant by flock dynamics is things like a chicken shows insubordination by things like giving way. With a confident and skilled lead hen and content flock, it can be enough for another hen to turn her head way. But if the lead hen is not confident, not skilled, or is being openly challenged then she may need another hen to give a lot more way - to back away, to back far away, or even to get out of sight. If the other hen does this quickly, there is more peace in the flock. They don't consider whether another hen has space to get further away.

My husband calls clicky women 'pecking order.' It cracks me up. Now I truly understand this as I learn more about chicken behavior.

 

[aart]

We're currently building our coop and it's very muddy in the area so we bought a bale of straw.

Deal with any drainage issues now while building coop and run.
Coarse wood chipping, from a tree trimmer, is the best long term solution for run bedding, IMO.

I laid it out the other day and it really went a long way.

It won't last long tho, and may become a stinky anaerobic mess.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Deal with any drainage issues now while building coop and run.
Coarse wood chipping, from a tree trimmer, is the best long term solution for run bedding, IMO.


It won't last long tho, and may become a stinky anaerobic mess.

Sorry, I should have been more detailed. It was muddy because we had a semi tornado come through. It's not usually muddy but it is dirt. The drainage seems to be okay under normal circumstances.

I will definitely keep an eye on the drainage in the weeks ahead before the chickens arrive to make sure all is in order.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you know if I can purchase course wood chips anywhere besides a local tree trimmer?

Why do you think this is superior to other materials for the run?

Thanks for the info, aart

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.

 

[aart]

Do you know if I can purchase course wood chips anywhere besides a local tree trimmer?

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

Why do you think this is superior to other materials for the run?

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.

 

[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.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

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

$33, plus shipping.

@GetFitWithKrista

Wow! Well done, Sally PB! Thanks for this

 

[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