The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: gavo on September 14, 2008, 10:08:07 pm

Title: Rushes for bedding
Post by: gavo on September 14, 2008, 10:08:07 pm
Hello,

    Has anyone used rushes for bedding ? Our pigs always use it to make their arcs comfy. With all the rushes in abundance over here (Fermanagh is the wettest county in the UK) I'm thinking about having a rush harvest and drying it out in the shed for use in lieu of "traditional" materials. Is this worth my time ?

Cheers

Gavin

 
Title: Re: Rushes for bedding
Post by: pigsatlesrues on October 01, 2008, 10:21:40 pm
Gavin, funnily enough we are using bedding, cut from out wet land, and it is working very well for our pigs, the hen house floor, for the geese and ducks. I have been using it for the rabbits,  but putting hay on the top of it so they can suggle down. 

We call it rushes, but it is baled from a spikey green plant that seems to thrive on the wet boggy field.  It certainly wont see us through the winter, but it is a good contribution towards the bedding, and it is from an area of our property that would otherwise be useless really.

My gran would have called us thrifty!

Kate  :pig:

Title: Re: Rushes for bedding
Post by: danndans on October 02, 2008, 06:46:32 am
there are rushes in part of our pig paddock and the pigs always pick them and use them ;D