What bedding rots down best in your compost heap?

beth123 · « **on:** September 20, 2010, 07:50 »

I'm new to keeping chickens and so have been using straw but what's the best bedding to use if I want it to rot down quick on the compost heap?

RichardA · « **Reply #1 on:** September 20, 2010, 08:43 »

we have ducks bedded on straw but they make it wetter than chickens would, Straw is in my opinion quickest to rot if kept moist enough and mixes well with grass cuttings and household scraps etc but straw is not necessarily best bedding for other reasons.
We use straw as we can get it cheap (we use 20 bales a year)and it does handle and clean up quite readily and it does go on the compost
R

grumpydad · « **Reply #2 on:** September 20, 2010, 09:39 »

straw and hay can harbour spores in the hollow stems which can cause respiratory problems, and should be avoided if possible.

we use hemcore in the coop, made from a hemp plant, very absorbant, and rots quickly, aubiose is very similar, easibed is another, made from small wood chippings

evie2 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2010, 11:29 »

I'm using something called Bliss at the moment however I believe from comments on here Aubiose and Hempcore rot down well

beth123 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 20, 2010, 19:48 »

Thanks for the advice, there's so much information to take in.

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What bedding rots down best in your compost heap?

beth123

What bedding rots down best in your compost heap?

RichardA

Re: What bedding rots down best in your compost heap?

grumpydad

Re: What bedding rots down best in your compost heap?

evie2

Re: What bedding rots down best in your compost heap?

beth123

Re: What bedding rots down best in your compost heap?

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