Allotment and Vegetable Gardening

No, I don't.

I don't either.

me neither 

Sorry to hijack thread, but interested.

Using woodshavings and finding it does a good job of absorbing what needs to be absorbed, and gives the coup that cosy snuggly look!

So......why is hemcore preferable?  And what is the cost difference?

The advice to water it once down is really only for horses to try and make a more firm base for the bed.Personally I wouldn't do it for chooks.

I use both, in fact i use straw too, different for each coop really. The hemcore i use for my old ladies/retired gentlemen, because they tend to attract more flies and poop more in that, the biggest coop.  I use straw for all the nesting boxes.

 I did an experiment last year, putting straw in one half of the coop, and various bedding in the other half. without exception, all 5 of my breeding trios, AND the big coop with all the geriatrics/waifs and strays, chose the straw to nest and lay eggs in, but slept in the alternative bedding. I found this fascinating. The silkies get caught up with the hemcore and shavings in their fluff, so they get straw. The remainder of the trios have shavings, which I find easier to dispose of (by burning).

Oh, sorry, and no I dont water the hemcore, it is absorbent to absorb chooky moisture (especially good for the condensation you get from wet choox sleeping).

As an alternative to Hemcore (not available, easily in my area S.Wales) have had to substitute a similar product (Auboise - also made from centre of hemp) as am also unable to get 'chop straw' which we bought when we got our chooks 1st.  OH insists on using something that will easily break down on his compost heaps/bins - says wood shavings will take too long.  As to price, similar size bale to bale of 'chop straw' costs us same - just under a tenner - but it does seem to last as we 'pick over' the nest boxes daily and main tray every couple of days with major clean out approx 7 - 10 days (depending on weather conditions).