Hemp bedding?

[PD-Riverman]

Watching YouTube and stumbled upon hemp for bedding. Has anyone used it? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

You talking about for chick brooder bedding?? I never used it, would not have a source if I wanted some. Pine shaving works Great and is cheap.

 

[Oodeldood]

Pines shavings are cheap for a reason they are full of tannins:

I use Hemp Bedding superior and now these guys have small Eco-Friendly packaging - http://hemp-solutions.org/animal-bedding/


http://poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu/toxicagents/tannin.html

Toxicity to monogastrics
Animals fed diets with a level of tannins under 5% experience

• depressed growth rates,
• low protein utilization,
• damage to the mucosal lining of the digestive tract,
• alteration in the excretion of certain cations, and
• increased excretion of proteins and essential amino acids.

In poultry, small quantities of tannins in the diet cause adverse effects

• levels from 0.5 to 2.0% can cause depression in growth and egg production,
• levels from 3 to 7% can cause death.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Pines shavings are cheap for a reason they are full of tannins:

I use Hemp Bedding superior and now these guys have small Eco-Friendly packaging - http://hemp-solutions.org/animal-bedding/


http://poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu/toxicagents/tannin.html

Toxicity to monogastrics
Animals fed diets with a level of tannins under 5% experience

• depressed growth rates,
• low protein utilization,
• damage to the mucosal lining of the digestive tract,
• alteration in the excretion of certain cations, and
• increased excretion of proteins and essential amino acids.

In poultry, small quantities of tannins in the diet cause adverse effects

• levels from 0.5 to 2.0% can cause depression in growth and egg production,
• levels from 3 to 7% can cause death.

You seem like a smart person that has done some home-work.
What level of Tannings are in dried flake pine shavings like TSC sells??
Being its used for bedding and I am sure small amounts are eaten by the chicks, but what percentage on average of the flake bedding is consumed by the chicks that are properly fed?
In that small percentage what % would that turn out to be Tannings?
Is that enough percentage to cause any problem with chicks? Thanks

 

[aart]

Watching YouTube and stumbled upon hemp for bedding. Has anyone used it? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

Think it's more fad here than anything......they use it in the UK as it's readily available and reasonably priced.

Wonders about the claim above about tannins....sounds like marketing maybe.

Ditto PDR's question about tannin levels in pine shavings....and really chickens don't eat many if any shavings.

 

[peaceisgreen]

id say use it if you can its superior in every way in my opinion but not necessary

 

[Oodeldood]

Not sure the research has been done, if so I can't find it. Tannins or other imputities are not worth the chance. At the moment like pesticides and other things I want to prevent from getting into my families food supply i go with not taking chances. I like the natural plant based items that have been used by humans for 10's of thousands of years. Humans have a system based on it's proximity to the hemp plant which is as old as history. The research I know of on the later is by the Isrealies that say we've been around the pant and vice versa that this plant and us have evolved together and we have developed an endocannabinoid system that reacts positively to the plant. That's the part that intriques me. So if the system recognizes it and reacts positively I'm all for it even if it comes through animals. As for Trees I've never heard of humans eating or benefiting from trees, tannins or any thing that has any off gassing abilities as it breaks down into compost.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Pines shavings are cheap for a reason they are full of tannins:

I

Not sure the research has been done, if so I can't find it. Tannins or other imputities are not worth the chance.

OK, you posted on this public Forum they were cheap because they were full of Tannings, I use the flake pine shavings for some of the chick bedding as well as Many/1000's and 1000's of others---with no problem. Now when questioned ----you state you do not know if the research has been done----well then how do you know this statement is true----you posted this Info on a public forum---Is my Question??

 

[Oodeldood]

Guys guys guys, tannins are there, I'm not a researcher. However, In the food supply pesticides in general are there, you know there there, however can you say there are any visible signs that you can point to among people that disregard the fact that they are there. Probably you can eventually. But it's not going to show up in big boils or something. I'm really not sure of your point. However my point may be explained in an anology. Perhaps in the rubber band theory. The theory is that if you were to put a rubber band around you, over your head and around your arms. Well after 1-2-3 rubbwer bands your probably going to be able to break free. However after 4-5-6 of continually adding rubber bands it's going to get harder and harder to overcome them....Are you adding to your exposure to things that are toxic, is the point, Hemp without Tannins pine with. There's a reason the queen of England and half of Europe uses Hemp for small and large animal bedding. It's fresher, it keeps a barrier of moisture below the bedding since Hemp is hydrophobic and it is 4-5 X's more absorbent and in essence less expensive in the long run for people that are not short sighted. this is my opinion in a public forum where people give their opinions for others to consider when making an opinion. I stand by my statements and make my own informed decisions based on years of experience and sharing with others their views and experiences. Peace

 

[aart]

Guys guys guys, tannins are there, I'm not a researcher. However, In the food supply pesticides in general are there, you know there there, however can you say there are any visible signs that you can point to among people that disregard the fact that they are there. Probably you can eventually. But it's not going to show up in big boils or something. I'm really not sure of your point. However my point may be explained in an anology. Perhaps in the rubber band theory. The theory is that if you were to put a rubber band around you, over your head and around your arms. Well after 1-2-3 rubbwer bands your probably going to be able to break free. However after 4-5-6 of continually adding rubber bands it's going to get harder and harder to overcome them....Are you adding to your exposure to things that are toxic, is the point, Hemp without Tannins pine with. There's a reason the queen of England and half of Europe uses Hemp for small and large animal bedding. It's fresher, it keeps a barrier of moisture below the bedding since Hemp is hydrophobic and it is 4-5 X's more absorbent and in essence less expensive in the long run for people that are not short sighted. this is my opinion in a public forum where people give their opinions for others to consider when making an opinion. I stand by my statements and make my own informed decisions based on years of experience and sharing with others their views and experiences. Peace

Hydrophobic means it repels water...so not absorbent.

The fact that it's even readily available (unlike in the US) and cheap in EU is why they use it there.
It is a viable bedding source, like hay or straw or most other dried plant materials.
But lets not give it magical attributes whilst damning the use of pine as toxic to justify said magic.

 

[azygous]

Here's the science. A Cornell University study http://poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu/toxicagents/tannin.html on tannins says this about tannins and poultry :

In poultry, small quantities of tannins in the diet cause adverse effects.

• levels from 0.5 to 2.0% can cause depression in growth and egg production,
• levels from 3 to 7% can cause death.

How do you know something has a lot of tannin in it? The substance will be very bitter. Black tea has a lot of tannin content. Don't feed it to your chickens. They probably wouldn't eat it anyway 'cause it's so bitter.

Animals aren't going to ingest enough tannin to hurt them unless there's nothing else to eat. So, if you don't want your chickens to eat pine shavings, feed them.