[JOHNBOY44]

what is the best kind of bedding for my chooks ,hay ,barley shredded paper etc your help please      john   driffield

[hillbilly]

There's a thread about Hemcore quite recently. I'm lousy at links and stuff but I tried to put it in below for you...

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=48603.msg573520#msg573520

[karlooben]

hi johnboy , hemcore is brillant if you can get hold of it as not all horse feed mechants stock it . u can try woodshavings { easy to get hold of from pet shops or horse feed shops } or straw and yes u could use shredded paper . at the mo while its cold a lot of ppl seem to be using straw as it can help keep the birds warmer but this must be cleaned regular as it could harbour red mites and doesnt do the girls much good if it gets damp .

hay is a no no .

[dizzylizzie]

i have finally found a supplier of hemcore (23miles from me)and i love it, and my chickens love it. Its so soft and cosy for them
i used dust extraced shavings and that was fine, i dont use straw/hay and they are fine. i have tried to use shredded paper, but it was rubbish, it wasnt absorbant, it clumped together and the hens got it tangled around their legs

[beulah59]

It's what you can get hold of, what your budget allows and what you like handling ... the chooks won't mind one way or another 

[Adam]

Why is hay such a bad idea?

[doodoo]

Hiya we use straw in the nesting box and the rest of the coop we use woodshavings, we all seem happy.  When it comes to cleaning out a quick shake of the straw daily and scooping the droppings off the woodshavings is quite an easy task.  I take the waste down the allotment and pop in the compost bin.

[viettaclark]

Hay is a bad idea because the chickens eat it. They can become crop-bound because the stalks are too long.
At least, that's what I thought. Maybe I'm wrong?

[dizzylizzie]

hay carries mould spores that are really bad for chickens also

[grumpydad]

hay is food and straw is bedding, but both are hollow, and if they become wet, can harbour spores on the inside of the stalks, which in turn can cause mould and disease.

i used woodshavings in the coop, but found that they still turned to sawdust as the chucks walked on them, now i only use easibed, and hemcore, both horse bedding, both absorbent, i have a thick layer in the coop at the moment, and during this bad weather find the chucks dust bath in it, so it is sprinkled with louse powder, saves me a job.

poo pick every day, and add a little stanoslanf (disinfectant) once a week.

they seem happy

[scrappydoo]

  Hi
  Personally I use shredded paper which I get FOC in abundance, although the 'double' shredded is best, the other is fine and on the odd occasion they poop in it , its cheap & easy to reolace.

P.S. I dont know if anyone else has used this idea, but I use old rubber car mats under the bedding, which makes the nest box's easy to clean and also insulates the box as well!

Best Regards

Steve

[beulah59]

rubber car mats?! Brilliant! 

[Big Bird]

We use shredded paper and it works well.  I like the idea of the rubber mats.

BB

[Sassy]

I was told to be careful re shredded paper because the ink can be toxic. I can't verify this.

[Big Bird]

I've never seen our girls eating the paper and most inks nowadays will not be toxic.  I wouldn't suggest you make a meal out of it though!!

BB