Using Hemp; well do declare; who knew??

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

I love hemp and absolutely recommend it, especially for deep bedding in the coop (and the brooder, I successfully raised healthy chicks with a deep hemp bedding brooder). I built my 6x8 coop inspired by Carolina Coops penthouse coop! I also use Carolina Coops hemp and it is definitely pricey, shipping is $45 for me out in California! (Edit: Just looked at their website and shipping is now $35 flat rate) However, I'm only going to have to buy it once every 2 years so that's good for me! It's crazy how you can go 2 years without cleaning your coop with absolutely zero smell. I love their youtube video that goes into detail about deep hemp bedding, it gives a lot of great info.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

I'm doing deep litter in my hoop coop run and have noticed the hemp I got recently from Rent A Coop (European Hemp) has a lot of thread like pieces that get tangled in the messy poops and then stuck to their feet. Anyone else having this problem? I'm new to chickens so I don't know if hemp is more likely to stick to their feet or if that's just a normal chicken bedding thing. I add new material daily and stir it too. It's just every once in a while it gets stuck and is a pain to clean off.

The Carolina Coop hemp from the pictures looks like it doesn't have this quality. But same sized bales are like 15 dollars more per bale.

Loving the hemp otherwise. No smell. I had hemp in my chicken brooder in my house and it didn't smell at all. Wish it was more accessible here in California.

Carolina coops hemp doesn't have those thread like pieces so I definitely recommend it. I tried another brand that did have those threads. I forgot what the threads in the hemp were called but on a Carolina Coops livestream they mentioned that they sifted those out of theirs. I wish they had a warehouse here in the west coast though because shipping is $45 to California!!

Edit: Just looked at their website and shipping is now $35 flat rate!! $10 less than before for here on the west coast!

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

I love their youtube video that goes into detail about deep hemp bedding, it gives a lot of great info.

Hmm, lemme see if I can locate this online video. Sounds useful. Would THIS be the video:

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Hmm, lemme see if I can locate this online video. Sounds useful. Would THIS be the video:

There’s that one, and this one:

This video is a long one, I just listened to it while doing other things like an audio book haha. This one goes more into the scientific side about deep bedding and how it works.

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

There’s that one, and this one:

This video is a long one, I just listened to it while doing other things like an audio book haha. This one goes more into the scientific side about deep bedding and how it works.

Uww, thank you SO much. I had the never the go see what a Carolina Coop would cost thinking I could save up the money for one. Surely I was jesting with myself. Oh my gee those things cost less than the house my hubby is building for our homestead! Oh well. Back to reality.

 

[allenw]

Hmm I might have to do some experimenting. Hemp grows wild around here.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm doing deep litter in my hoop coop run and have noticed the hemp I got recently from Rent A Coop (European Hemp) has a lot of thread like pieces that get tangled in the messy poops and then stuck to their feet. Anyone else having this problem? I'm new to chickens so I don't know if hemp is more likely to stick to their feet or if that's just a normal chicken bedding thing.

Not normal. I'm having this issue with the latest bale I've ordered from Rent a Coop as well. It's still usable so I'll use up what I have, but less easy to work with.

 

[Ninjanina]

Not normal. I'm having this issue with the latest bale I've ordered from Rent a Coop as well. It's still usable so I'll use up what I have, but less easy to work with.

I'm thinking of getting some of the Carolina coop stuff to top it off so that they don't have crud stuck to their feet. I don't like the fibers. Maybe I will also reach out to Rent a Coop. Previous batches had some fiber but not these giant balls of it.