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Anyone tried "healthy- straw" bedding?
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:17 am
by Robbie
Farrier1987 wrote:QR_BBPOST Read their information sheet. Sounds like a marketing deal mostly to me. No lies told, but nothing really different about this from regular clean wheat straw. I am guessing that different length straw means you can get crimped by the combine or not. Clean prairie wheat fields will be the same as clean Ontario wheat fields. Probably weed killers used, no claims made about organic, not that is a yay or nay from me, just comment. Nothing on there tells me this more or less health, its just straw, probably good straw, but just straw. (The name Healthistraw says marketing to me.)
Their mother website is out of Manitoba. Transported here from the prairies, the cost is going to be way higher, and as of now, not sure there will be a benefit to clean unmoldy undusty Ontario straw. But if you don't have a local source in the smaller quantities most of us hobbyists would use, it is probably a good product. Don't know how widely it is available. I will still get a few small square bales from my neighbor, ten or so in August tend to last me a year for chicken and goat and horse bedding. I pay him $1.50 a bail off the field and store it dry til I need it.
That's my take anyway.
I can't separate the chicken 'poop from regular straw bedding, or from regular wood shavings, so that's why I need the ultra fine stuff. I don't do the deep litter method, and pick up after the chickens daily. With a different management system, or with different livestock this finely chopped straw might not work well- I don't think the healthystraw or flax (or regular straw) would be any good for sopping up urine.
I wonder what it would cost to make/buy a straw chopper? Probably not economical for a small scale operation though.
There is the possibility of herbicide residue, I doubt there would be much or any insecticide residue, might be some fungicide residue on the wheat straw.
Anyone tried "healthy- straw" bedding?
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:20 am
by Robbie
As far as availability goes, the only Ontario dealer is in Hagersville, and I have not been successful getting anywhere with setting up delivery elsewhere. So far.
Anyone tried "healthy- straw" bedding?
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:14 pm
by JimW
Robbie wrote:QR_BBPOST As far as availability goes, the only Ontario dealer is in Hagersville, and I have not been successful getting anywhere with setting up delivery elsewhere. So far.
thanks I was emailing the Ontario dealer and they mentioned something about they ship to someone in the Belleville area, so I could possibly pick up in Belleville.
Anyone tried "healthy- straw" bedding?
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:52 pm
by Robbie
Robbie wrote:QR_BBPOST As far as availability goes, the only Ontario dealer is in Hagersville, and I have not been successful getting anywhere with setting up delivery elsewhere. So far.
My apologies there are other Ontario dealers, but not in the south.
Anyone tried "healthi- straw" bedding?
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 9:10 am
by SandyM
So what's the feedback on this stuff? I haven't been to the auction lately to stop in and check it out.
Anyone tried "healthi- straw" bedding?
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 9:23 am
by Ontario Chick
I wonder if it could be used successfully for deep bedding, since the small pcs wouldn't allow for air space which adds insulating value and would just keep settling in to a solid mass?
Also presumably couldn't be mucked out twice a year with a pitchfork?
I only use the flax bedding for brooders in the house (pure magic there) but find it too fine for the pens.
I am game to try anything new, but it has to be an improvement over the old and tested. :)
Anyone tried "healthi- straw" bedding?
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 9:30 am
by goatgal35
I am amazed that this seems to be a new thing. 30 yrs ago we managed some broiler barns in the Holland Marsh. After each clean out we tossed entire straw bales into a chopped and laid chopped straw down in the area that the day olds went into. It was cheap and worked well. The un-chopped straw was to "long and tangle" for the baby birds.
Anyone tried "healthi- straw" bedding?
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 9:32 am
by SandyM
goatgal35 wrote:QR_BBPOST I am amazed that this seems to be a new thing. 30 yrs ago we managed some broiler barns in the Holland Marsh. After each clean out we tossed entire straw bales into a chopped and laid chopped straw down in the area that the day olds went into. It was cheap and worked well. The un-chopped straw was to "long and tangle" for the baby birds.
What do you use in your coops?
I use flax and that's all I've used so I really don't have an opinion on anything else.
Anyone tried "healthi- straw" bedding?
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:44 am
by Ontario Chick
Yes indeed, chopped straw has been used for a very long time.
What is new, is the availability of it packaged, so you don't have to chop it yourself.
Sort of like "fast straw" version of fast food.
Lets face it, still cheeper then buying the machinery.
We all have different set up's and what works for one person may not work for another, but it always help to hear of other people's experience.
I am finding handling of the straw bales more and more difficult, so some sort of shortcut would be nice, just has to work at least as well if not better then what I already have. :)
Anyone tried "healthi- straw" bedding?
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 1:06 pm
by Robbie
Ontario Chick wrote:QR_BBPOST I wonder if it could be used successfully for deep bedding, since the small pcs wouldn't allow for air space which adds insulating value and would just keep settling in to a solid mass?
Also presumably couldn't be mucked out twice a year with a pitchfork?
I only use the flax bedding for brooders in the house (pure magic there) but find it too fine for the pens.
I am game to try anything new, but it has to be an improvement over the old and tested. :)
Seems to have pretty good loft and it doesn't seem to pack down although I'm not sure how it would do if it got damper or wetter. The bales are lighter than shavings or flax.