4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Olly]

I've only ever used Aubiose, but I believe it's very similar to Hemcore, only Hemcore has citronella in. I think it's fantastic - now, I can't compare it to straw as I've never used that, but it soaks up poo, makes everything easy to clean, and the chooks seem very happy with it.

 

I am not sure about 'gathering straw to make a nest' ... never noticed that! It's more about keeping the run dry. Yes, if you use it for horses it suggests wetting it - I've never done that for the chooks, just lobbed it in the run. One bale lasts ages - I don't know if straw works as well, but personally it's Aubiose for me, every time!

 

Sure, if she has 50 chickens, then she's dealing on a different scale - and let's face it, they are probably not living in her back garden! I might not clean out 50 chooks that often, but when you have to stick your hand in the nest-box every day, you really don't want it full of poo! I'd go back and get the Hemcore. Just tell her you've got a very small horse!

[mrsallen08]

Hiya

We clean out our chooks every week ish (depending on poo and weather!)

I think it depends on your coop too. Ours is a wooden one so can get damp and stinky with 6 birds. Like yours they poo from perch and in nest boxes (even though they haven't laid anything!)

There are too many flies around atm to not do it that often as they could get flystrike and other buglies!

I am a novice anyway so what would I know! H x

 

No idea about straw vs hemcore! Sorry!

[bokbokbok]

What's with people who think we want to buy what they want us to buy not what WE want to buy? If you had wanted her advice you would have gone in and asked *what would YOU suggest for my chickens?* not *can I please hand over my hard earned cash for Hemcore - go get me a bale p.d.q*

 

I BET if you go back next time you will find another person who says *Hemcore? Are you getting that for chickens? *I* use it all the time and loooove it - good choice. You know not to wet it don't you?*

 

Tut. Sales people. Tut. Mutter. More Tuts. Yes, I do my fair share of selling too and try to sell the people what they actually WANT!

[Olly]

Very well put, anydanger!

 

I hate being 'sold' something when it's not what I want.

[bokbokbok]

Yes! And then she would have had the added pleasure of being able to tell her OH over the dinner table about this stupid person she sold stuff to today which was THREE POUNDS dearer than the stuff she could have sold AND the person isn't even going to wet it first - she will be back next week asking for straw - mark my words!

 

Obviously isn't on commission!

 

Giggle. Thanks - I needed that wee rant

[Hen Watch]

Then this lady that works there came along & asked how big our stable was .. We explained it was for chickens so she said she wouldn't advise it for hens as you need to get it wet so it "fluffs up". I said to her that I had read that you don't need to get it wet, just put it in dry. So she said .. "hens like to gather things to make a nest, eg straw or hay, hemcore isn't suitable. Its actually called Aubiose not Hemcore btw."

 

Laura just go and buy a bale anyway. It's really great stuff.

 

Hemcore and Auboise are both hemp based products.

Hemcore is UK manufacture.

Auboise is French and it just depends which one (or both) your local horse shop sells. For me I buy Auboise.

 

Both are great for the nest box, sprinkled in an eglu poo tray, or even in Winter I put 1 inch deep straight on the grass (but do need to ensure a shower curtain or similar over run to keep it dry). A bale may be £8-£9 but will last ages. Once you see how it soaks up poos you won't want to use anything else.

 

My chickens love to pick up bits of Auboise from the nestbox and chuck it on their backs whilst they are laying in the nestbox. It composts OK too.

 

Edited post to add pics..... This is the stuff.....

 

Edited July 30, 2008 by Guest

[bokbokbok]

Hahahahaha ooops Set fire to it?

[beach chick]

I've never used hemcore or aubiose. but straw I find a right pain in the backside! mine flick it everywhere, whenever one goes broody she gets in a right state and chucks it on her back... my only use for it now is the kid's nativity figures at Xmas!!

currently I'm using woodshavings, but only in the poo tray and nest box. if I could get hemcore or aubiose I prob would, because everyone says it composts well.

[AJuff]

I'd take the straw back and exchange it for the hemcore/aubiose! If it's like Easibed it will be fantastic!

[bokbokbok]

Or put it away safe for all the strawberries you are going to have to grow next year.

 

Or put it in the chicken area for them to stand on. I have seen other people putting a whole bale in for their chooks to *play* with

[Hen Watch]

Why didn't I just stick to what I wanted and buy Hemcore

 

I know what you mean. I find it best not to even mention the word chicken when I'm buying stuff in the horse Tack Shop. I buy Auboise, garlic powder, limestone flour, apple cider vinegar all good for chickens as well as horses. Mind you buying a bag of layers pellets at the same time might give it away but then lots of horsey people keep chooks on the side which is why my local place sells chook feed.

[bokbokbok]

Laura, think of what you have learned. It only cost you £4 to learn how to stand your ground and be assertive. If I could have paid £4 to have learned that years ago I would have!

[ChirpyChirpyCheepCheep]

I put straw in the nesting area of my girls eglu and aubiose in the run.

[MedusA]

My "chicken" vet says she wishes big drug companies would catch on to the fact that keeping a few "pet" chickens in the garden is a growing hobby, and get with the times by producing "chicken-compatible" meds in much smaller quantities!

 

Horsey suppliers are much the same. Next time go in there and just tell them "I want a bale of Aubiose/Hemcore" and don't let them talk you out of it.

 

Having tried both - whilst I like the citronella smell of the Hemcore - Aubiose is much nicer stuff to work with and composts quicker when you clean the girls out. My recommendation would be for Aubiose and buy citronella to sprinkle separately. Shame about the straw. If it was a proper bale, I was going to suggest putting it in for them to stand on/pick to pieces too. My girls have great fun doing that and it lasts them for ages.

 

Good luck.

[chickenanne]

I think the farm-shop lady was probably trying to be helpful, and give advice as to how she has done it over a good few years.

There's nothing wrong with keeping hens in a good deep-litter system with straw, after all it's been done that way for generations and is good for mimnimising flies and smells etc. HOWEVER, with a small house (e.g. mine!) it would be daft, and much easier to clean weekly. I use Hemcore and think it's great. Have never used chooped straw, but can't really see how it would be more fun for the chickies to scratch about in.

[abwsco]

I wanted a bale (like a proper farm bale, tied with rope or whatever) to give the hens something to do in the garden .. but this isn't really a bale. Its straw chopped really small, compressed into a plastic wrapper thing. So when you take the wrapper off, I think it would jst lose its shape and become a heap of straw. Why didn't I just stick to what I wanted and buy Hemcore

 

That will be fine for the nest boxes and also for the run either on it's own or mixed with hemcore. You could also just do a big pile of straw in the run and watch them be in chicken heaven scratching around in it and kicking it everywhere

[dancing cloud]

Not really helpful, but I'm as assertive as anything in my job and strong on behalf of other people, and really feeble at arguing about anything on my own behalf . The only time I get stroppy when it affects me is if it's PMT time, and then I take no prisoners . I'd have probably taken the straw like you did and then be far too much of a wimp to take it back.

 

I use Aubiose or Easibed in the run and poo trays - whichever I can get hold of - and shredded paper in the nestbox.

[mrs chook]

What's with people who think we want to buy what they want us to buy not what WE want to buy? If you had wanted her advice you would have gone in and asked *what would YOU suggest for my chickens?* not *can I please hand over my hard earned cash for Hemcore - go get me a bale p.d.q*

 

 

Amen to that As the saying goes "You pays your money, you takes your choice!"

[chocolatedog]

How do you all manage to keep the hemcore dry? Even with our run almost fully covered with omlet shades the rain still seems to get through (unless it's just all in the atmosphere) and get it all damp and dirty......or are all your photos taken when a new batch of hemcore has just been put down?!