Corn shucks vs. Straw

[JAZZNGEN]

Which do you all prefer in the fly pen and during the keep??

[ga coondawg]

corn shucks hands down...they hold up way longer than the straw, and dont break down into dust for the birds to inhale...

[JAZZNGEN]

THANKS COONDAWG.................

[4spur]

corn shucks are by far the best , if you use baled shucks be sure to put a hen in the pen for a few days and feed her in a cup and let her clean up anything that might be in the shucks.If you have hens running lose just leave the fly pen doors open, they'll clean it up.

[Riffraff]

Good clean shucks should last through all season.Just put them on a tarp and hose them down to dry in the sun after every show.If you buy ground shucks you are wasting your time,they're ground stalks,cobs,shucks and all,You'll have chunks of stalk ,missed cob ,etc,etc. Hard on a cocks feet and nearly impossible to clean.

[MarshButcher]

We always likes using rye straw. It's very clean and lasts a long time in the the pens. It is a little more expensive but well worth it.

Mark Marsh

[foxhound]

Originally Posted by MarshButcher

We always likes using rye straw. It's very clean and lasts a long time in the the pens. It is a little more expensive but well worth it.

Mark Marsh

yea we use wheat staw,it's about the same.anyone ever use oak leaves

[hillside claret]

Love those shucks nothing better ,but i left the fly pen doors open and all of them wound out in the hall of the barn ,those hen move them better than the cocks lol.

[David Dunn]

I like to put something different in each pen corn shucks is the most durable. Different material in each pen really gets them working during rotation something new every time for them. I use pine straw, hay, magnolia leaves,corn shucks when I can get them,sand,oak leaves.The oak leaves break down the quickest.

[brownred kelso]

Originally Posted by Riffraff

Good clean shucks should last through all season.Just put them on a tarp and hose them down to dry in the sun after every show.If you buy ground shucks you are wasting your time,they're ground stalks,cobs,shucks and all,You'll have chunks of stalk ,missed cob ,etc,etc. Hard on a cocks feet and nearly impossible to clean.

Here's what i was doing years ago,,,when the fly pens were used to scratch, work and finish the birds out all in one,,,,i would re-bag the shucks into feed sacks and re use them,,,clean the pens out of all debris and you're good to go for the next bunch,,,,,BRK

[4theFowl]

Use vines u can pull up n the fall that ain't poison oak. N straw all the time. Keep em workin.

[crawbound]

No contest! Corn shucks all the way! If they are baled and have lots of corncob trash and residue in them throw them on the ground and shake them out with a pitchfork. Its a little work but well worth the cleaner shucks.

[Gypsygamefarm]

Horse **** or schucks I like them both

[Hotcocker]

We used to go hand pick the shucks after harvest off the ground, u never get cleaner, no cobbs or stalks, takes a while to fill enuff feed sacks to do ya, but worth it i think.

[Thompson]

Only probably is they are nearly impossible to find around here.

[Bloodsport]

I think if you go to the store like albertson, safeway,walmart for instance, you can ask them to collect the corn shucks for you and get them later i think.

[kywolf]

Originally Posted by 4theFowl

Use vines u can pull up n the fall that ain't poison oak. N straw all the time. Keep em workin.

the problem i could see with using vines is the same as using hay,it would tangle up around their feet

[country]

Corn shucks ...next time you watch them in straw and then shucks watch how the shucks bunch up creates more resistance causing the muscles to work harder to push them out of the way .just watch and see .like hotcocker said pick them up after harvest before it rains on them if possible. But its a lot of work .but I also use different things like wheatstraw, leaves etc . jmo country

[YeY197]

Anybody know where to get bales of cornchucks in the midwest? There use to be a guy that drove around selling them but he dont anymore.

[buzzbait]

YEY197 - i found some , but it comes in round bales only- pretty cheap too i think , I'll have to dig to find the phone number and PM ya if ya want it ?? BUT i aint seen it yet so not sure what it looks like , quality wise i mean