experiment with bedding

[deek]

Can you use this as bedding in a brooder?

Until coolcanoechic answers, I will attempt a reply. I know that newly hatched shouldn't be around cedar nor any bedding small enough for them to eat which would impact their crop. Mine never tried eating the bedding, but they were already a few weeks old. Using a paper towel beneath the feed/water helped them find it, but needed to be removed once they got lively because they will eat it! This might have all been for not since the momma hen is usually on hay and the chicks do just great despite all our efforts.

 

[coolcanoechic]

I used chopped straw in my brooder and they never ate it. It settles down nicely and makes it easy for them to walk. It also smells way better than shavings. I wish I had found this High Fiber Gold when my girls were chicks. There would have been way less dust in the house!
I think it will be ok in the brooder. As a good mommy, I'm sure you will watch what they do after you put it in there just to be on the safe side.

 

[coolcanoechic]

It has been 47 days now that this hay has been in the coop. It still smells like hay with no poopy odor. There was a little dust to wipe off the roost. The hay is still nice and dry.
You can see that there are some poops starting to show as well as some feathers.

 

[coolcanoechic]

Hi deek,
How is your experiment going? Are you still dry and stink free?

 

[Jakoda]

I've lost track of how long I've been using this, (would be somewhere in this thread Must be atleast a month or more,,and mine is holding up great as well, no smell, little to no dust, LOVE IT,,I do add to it because my chickies like to kick it out of the coop

I actually have thrown some around their run , they've dug up all the grass, and it dries out fast if we get some rain (1/4 of my run is covered w/mesh) they love scratching around in it..

I'll be using this from now on vs shavings, easier to manage , smells nicer in the long run,,just way better in my opinion than the shavings

Thanks again for the tip! I never would have tried this without this thread
Diane

 

[coolcanoechic]

Wow, That's great to hear. I wonder how many people may have actually tried this?

 

[Jakoda]

I just picked up a couple more bags from my feed store since it's a distance and I wanted to start stocking up for winter, told them how I was using it, they thought it was a great idea and was going to pass it on to customers..

Mine isn't the 'gold" like you have posted, it's just a straight bag of Lucerne Prem Ground cover..wonder if there is any difference? Mine looks exactly like yours in the pic..
Diane

 

[coolcanoechic]

I just picked up a couple more bags from my feed store since it's a distance and I wanted to start stocking up for winter, told them how I was using it, they thought it was a great idea and was going to pass it on to customers..

Mine isn't the 'gold" like you have posted, it's just a straight bag of Lucerne Prem Ground cover..wonder if there is any difference? Mine looks exactly like yours in the pic..
Diane

The ground cover is what I had been using. It's fantastic. There is a picture of the bag somewhere in the beginning of this post. It's a bit dustier, but you get more for your money and it works just as well as the Gold.

 

[coolcanoechic]

Today is day 55 on this one bag of Lucern Farms High Fiber Gold. I just went out and turned it over really well and wiped the poop off of the walls and roost...lol. I noticed way less dust than I have ever had in there before when cleaning. There is no dust raised when turning it over.

Still dry.
Still smells nice.

I am convinced that I will never use anything else from now on.

I am hoping some of you will benefit from this thread. Thanks for following.

 

[7L Farm]

It has been 47 days now that this hay has been in the coop. It still smells like hay with no poop odor. There was a little dust to wipe off the roost. The hay is still nice and dry.
You can see that there are some poops starting to show as well as some feathers.

I stumbled across this thread & I'm now confused on your first post you said to use a ground cover. Now are you suggesting this one ?