Hemp bedding

[Carobean]

That's good to know!

 

[chfriedmam]

I just bought 2 bags from them, shipped out to California. I paid a lot for shipping, but I wanted to try it. Right now I just have it in a brooder with 15 chicks, but it has very little smell (pine gives me allergies) and when a visiting child spilled their water it sucked it up and was dry again immediately.

Hemp can only be grown legally in certain states, but it can be sold/used freely. I hope they can arrange wider distribution. Maybe I will ask the local Feed store to stock it.

 

[Carobean]

Cool! Are you having any issues with your chicks eating it? We're building a new henhouse, and I'm going to try it again when we make the transition...

 

[Howard E]

As an alternative to hard to find hemp, an alternative (that may be equally hard to find) is miscanthus.

http://www.animalschoice.ie/miscanthus-bedding-perfect-for-poultry

Miscanthus WAS being widely tested in the US as a feedstock for ethanol for biofuels. With the drop in fuel prices, my guess is it is no longer economically viable, so production may have sputtered. Most who had planted the stuff were looking to repurpose their fields for livestock bedding, but not sure if that has happened.

Anyway, I have been looking for a commercial source in the US and could not find any. So I decided to plant a small patch and will be producing my own in coming years.

If anyone is aware a commercial source in the US, please let the rest of us know.

 

[proteus]

HELPPPPPPPPPP!
TODAY I have taken delivery of my first bag of Auboise to put under my trio of Barbu d'Uccle which arrive shortly.
Reading the blurb on the bag (which relates only to horses!), I note it says to wet the Auboise to form a cap.
Can people please advise me if you wet it also for bantams ? I'm assuming, if so, that a small houseplants mister will do the job satisfactorily ?

 

[guyfolk]

I have been using hemp for my chickens from the start. We are lucky as hemp is readily available in Australia and not too expensive. It is so easy to use and as most have said, limited dust, good absorption and reduces smell.

We remove the main spots of poop daily and this means you do not have to refresh for weeks. The chickens really do prefer hemp to most other products

As to chickens eating it, there should no effects as hemp has lower concentrations of THC and higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD), which decreases or eliminates its psychoactive effects.

 

[Lucyincharge]

Where do you purchase hemp bedding?

 

[treefrogging]

Looks good! I'll have to follow this post as well because pine shavings are soooo dusty... I am hoping for an alternative...

 

[Lucyincharge]

I would think it might be toxic to chicken and baby chicks eating the hemp bedding. Do you know anything about it?

 

[Lucyincharge]

What are straw pellets?