Hemp bedding?

[PD-Riverman]

Soil gets compacted quickly and does not absorb and evaporate moisture well. Consequently it provides a breeding ground for bacteria.
You want a material that is absorbant with lots of surface to give the moisture off into the air again, that will keep the brooder dry and stink free.

OK, can we agree to disagree? There is probably nothing wrong with hemp bedding?? Just like there is nothing wrong with flake pine bedding in my opinion. Hemp bedding is Not a more "natural" bedding here and Most places in the world because it has to be shipped in---all over the world-----natural to me would be what the chicks/chickens are use to using is What I was Saying!! Chicks are use to using Nothing and what ever they are introduced to after hatching will be their first and I promise you wire floors do not hurt their feet if proper size any more than stepping on chipped up hemp or pine shavings even that awesome looking pellet bedding some use----that's gotta be rough---even walking on the ground hurts my bare feet more than walking on a steel mesh flooring used on a trailer. If you do a world wide survey you will probably find that MOST chickens are walking around on the ground----Dirt----sandy soil, etc---so to me that's more "natural". Sand does not pack and drains well and I have used it many times in coops, brooders, etc. I agree its heavier but its more "natural" than shipped in hemp----But to clear this up----I have NOTHING against Hemp but I am not going to have a unnatural bedding shipped in to my farm for a higher price than I can get local bedding for. If Tractor Supply starts carrying it and its about the same price----I will even try some for chick bedding but only after my wire floor brooders are filled. Everyone else can use what ever they want----I was Just stating Hemp is Not a natural bedding here.

 

[Stephine]

Hm. I just answered your question, which you had stated was a serious question. Is it natural for chickens to walk around on grass and soil? To an extend: natural would probably be having some vegetation under them and a few spots of bare soil here and there, but they would move around more, so the whole absorbancy/fouling problem would be avoided. Penned up is a whole different story.
I have nothing against pine from the chicken suitability side of things, but I don't like it in my compost, too acidic and too much carbon. Hemp is just as natural and easy and local as pine, straw or hay in areas where it's grown. I hope to be able to get it here, soon - I don't like adding lots of zeolite to my compost from the Koop Clean (which also has to be shipped) either...

 

[3riverschick]

J

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hm. I just answered your question, which you had stated was a serious question.

Hmmm, My question was to the poster I quoted, and being serious was meant for the dirt---not the question---LOL. You jumped in and answered something directed to the other poster----which was perfectly fine----so I just "vented" on you and who ever else wanted to read----Nothing towards you at all---Sorry.

I do raise a lot of chicks---well until recently---the 100 or so I raise a week right now are on wire and I do add the poop and paper the poop tray is lined with to the compost pile---so I am not using any bedding at this time---But I got some if I need it. I still say everyone else can use what they want!! Thanks for your time!

 

[3riverschick]

Great post!! PDriverman.
So good to hear from folk who raise in great quantity! You see so many things we small backyarders will never see with our small operations. It's very educational.
Best,
Karen

 

[PD-Riverman]

Great post!! PDriverman.
So good to hear from folk who raise in great quantity! You see so many things we small backyarders will never see with our small operations. It's very educational.
Best,
Karen

LOL, you got that right!! Want some examples---LOL. Picture this 67 chicken pens, with 27 different breeds, collecting eggs from about 40 pens a day(other pens have younger/not laying yet birds) All the eggs collected have to be marked, breed, date and pen number. Cleaning pens, waterers, feeding, doctoring if needed. Setting and monitoring, taking care of up to 72 broody hens in one year. Some times 25+ heated brooders going at one time, filling waterers, feeders, cleaning them all, checking on all the chicks making sure no one acts sick or had a poop tail. Poop/compost piles as big as cars-LOL. Some times almost 1000 eggs incubating at one time, setting and hatching every week in the hundreds, Walk into Tractor Supply every 2 weeks and they say hey Mr Randy your feed is ready----80 to 90 bags of factory feed, plus almost a ton of grain used every month, hauling it, unloading it, grinding and mixing it. Advertising, gathering and selling chicks, gathering/boxing the chicks/chickens for the Auction every week to sell. Doing all this and More----all alone----Man I am Tired---LOL

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

The is a hemp vendor scheduled to be at the poultry faire I'm attending this weekend who has several smaller sized packages (largest is a 33 lb bale)....looking forward to checking it out in person

 

[Stephine]

The is a hemp vendor scheduled to be at the poultry faire I'm attending this weekend who has several smaller sized packages (largest is a 33 lb bale)....looking forward to checking it out in person

Oh, I would love to get my hands on that.... the faire is not in Sonoma County I take it....?

 

[Charlie0928]

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.

that's some top quality mumble jumble right there