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MrandMrsG

Hemcore....

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Apologies in advance if you think that is going to be a dumb question :oops: but being new to this chicken keeping malarkie, there are a lot of things that I don't know but I'm gradually gleening the info from the eggspurts on this great forum.

 

Many of you have mentioned Hemcore, I'd like to try it out and have found a local source as where I can get it from; but what I want to know is, if I bought a bale, how long would it last with having an eglu and 3 chooks or should I buy more than one bale? The time has come where I must set up a permanent site for the girls, as they're trashing my lawn :(

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A bale lasts me a few months. I use it in the nesting box and change it weekly with top ups in the week when I poop pick from the messy chicken who sleeps in the nesting box. In the run I rake it weekly to tidy it up and change it fully every 5 - 6 weeks. I have a normal sized eglu run and it works out really well. At the moment I also have it insulating my shooting rhubarb from the frost that is predicted - so versatile!!

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And, Mr&MrsG, there is no such thing as a dumb question on here! Every question has either been asked before or someone has wondered the same thing, we were all new to it once, don't know about everyone else but I'm still making it up as I go along! :D

 

Mrs Bertie

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Chickenlickin,

do you use the soiled hemcore for the rhubarb? I know it is meant to be a greedy plant.

I have a small fruit patch with fruit buses and trees. Can I use the stuff begining with a you can get if you can`t get hemcore(I can never remember what it is called) directly around those plants?

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I always understood it was the acidity - chicken poo is very 'hot' and needs to rot down a bit before it's used on flower beds as it's likely to burn the foliage.

 

Manure from slower digesters like horses or cattle can be put straight on to flower beds.

 

I guess there could be an issue about bacteria and veg crops, but it can't be much worse than the poo on the eggs! :wink:

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Sorry Mr & MrsG, we've slipped off-topic! :oops:

 

Aubiose and hemcore are very similar, and about the same price. I've never been able to find hemcore, but I believe it has citronella in it which must be nice. I use aubiose, it's about £7 a bale, and I'm on my third bale in a year of chicken-keeping (I'm a bit stingy with it in the run!)

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Many thanks for your helpful replies, they've been a great help.

 

Next dumb question - Is Aubiose similar to Hemcore and do they compare in price? I know I could google the info, but it's much nicer finding out about these things from you lot :D

 

The place in Kent I bought Aubiose from charged £6.55 per bale ex VAT. I bought three because the "shipping and handling" charges were so high.

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I'm afraid poo is a constant topic on this forum! How much will there be, what's the best thing to do with it, what colour is it ...

 

Aubiose/hemcore is the best stuff - I have no problems with my poo since I started using it! :lol:

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I'm afraid poo is a constant topic on this forum! How much will there be, what's the best thing to do with it, what colour is it ...

 

Aubiose/hemcore is the best stuff - I have no problems with my poo since I started using it! :lol:

 

but what about the chickens Olly?

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I got my chooks at the end of October (in an Eglu with run+convertor) and I'm just coming to the end of my second bale. I have padded it out in the run a bit with shavings that Father-in-law insisted on bringing me (he manages a timber yard - and I now have shavings blown all over th garden!)

 

I bought hemcore first time, then aubiose to try it. Aubiose is a bit softer but also about 50p a bale more expensive where I get it.

 

I think I'll probably get Hemcore next time I go - buy British and all that!

 

Jo

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