MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

@Mother of Chaos can I please check what size bag of hemp you buy and how many chickens you keep? No rush.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

8 lb bag, which is pretty large as the contents are so lightweight, regular retail US $25. I have 5 pullets, all standard size (neither Brahma nor bantam), only three laying so far, although the younger two are close behind.

I’ll add a pic showing how much I still have when I go back out into the raging blizzard (29°, 1” of snow, mostly blowing sideways), a little morning surprise for us all.

Adding. The bag is maybe 80 cm tall, and the current contents level is about up to the chicken’s back or the rabbit’s ears on the bag picture:

 

[Mother of Chaos]

One more: hemp in the Nestera nesting boxes (roof removed.) Pine flakes tracked in a bit; two ceramic eggs in each nest box; two real eggs in one, because obviously the other (identical) box is grossly inferior and never to be used.

 

[MaryJanet]

8 lb bag, which is pretty large as the contents are so lightweight, regular retail US $25. I have 5 pullets, all standard size (neither Brahma nor bantam), only three laying so far, although the younger two are close behind.

I’ll add a pic showing how much I still have when I go back out into the raging blizzard (29°, 1” of snow, mostly blowing sideways), a little morning surprise for us all.

Adding. The bag is maybe 80 cm tall, and the current contents level is about up to the chicken’s back or the rabbit’s ears on the bag picture:

View attachment 4249138

In Australian terms that's $38 for 3.5kg.

Prices here are in the same ballpark. I found a 3kg bag for $35. They also offer 14kg for $76, which is good value.

I'll keep it on the list, but I think I may try woodshavings first, which are more readily available.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

In Australian terms that's $38 for 3.5kg.

Prices here are in the same ballpark. I found a 3kg bag for $35. They also offer 14kg for $76, which is good value.

I'll keep it on the list, but I think I may try woodshavings first, which are more readily available.

If I recall correctly (probably not), I was going to use pine shavings in the nest boxes as well as on the floor of the (tiny) coop. Decided that I wanted to make sure that the nest boxes, which are almost on the coop floor, were easily distinguishable from the floor itself, so I got the hemp.

I was probably overthinking this. I think they’d be delighted with either. They don’t get very overwrought about this sort of thing, thank God.