Hemcore

[Holly]

As many of you know I've been using Aubiose (a hemp based horse bedding) for my hamsters and guinea pigs for the past few months. I've been really impressed with it, it's virtually dust free, has a mild fresh smell and is very economical (about eight pounds a bale which lasts me a month for 15 hamsters and 2 piggies). Best of all it tangles far less in the coats of our LH's than anything else I've found.

Until now that is :shock:

I went to the farm where I buy my Aubiose last week and was horrified to find they didn't have any and weren't sure when they be getting it because of Christmas and New Year. My face must have said it all because the farmer suggested I try "Hemcore" instead. I was a bit dubious but he said it's basically the same thing - a hemp based bedding.

I didn't have a lot of choice as I needed it then and there (for the piggies really) so I decided to give it a go. It's the same size bale/bag as the Aubiose and the same price - the bag states "dust extracted hemp bedding".

Anyway I've been using it for the piggies for a few days and I was impressed but today I've cleaned out all of our hamsters and tonight, getting them out, I've been amazed to find there's NONE AT ALL tangled in the coats of our LH's - even Rolo, our LH satin.

I'm amazed and impressed - obvioulsy it's early days and I need to see how we go with it - but I'm giving it a big thumbs up for now.

Anyone know any problems with it?

[I_am_plankton]

Nope :) It's one of the safe good beddings apparently alongside as you said, Aubiose, Megazorb, and hemcore :)

[DonnaB]

I shall watch this thread with interest!

I've been using Aubiose from Cooks (thanks) for the rabbits litter trays and Luna the Hammie's bedding. I'm quite pleased with it so far, but it could do with being maybe a little more absorbant as a few of my foster buns are big 'wee-ers, so I'm always looking for the perfect litter/bedding.

[I_am_plankton]

I shall watch this thread with interest!

I've been using Aubiose from Cooks (thanks) for the rabbits litter trays and Luna the Hammie's bedding. I'm quite pleased with it so far, but it could do with being maybe a little more absorbant as a few of my foster buns are big 'wee-ers, so I'm always looking for the perfect litter/bedding.

You can't get more absorbent than Megazorb according to my local equastrian :) I am allergic to it but it is brilliant

[Faye]

I had a look at Hemcore when I was first choosing a substrate... I found the fragments quite large (and so didn't look comfy) - perhaps it was just the pack that I looked at... are the fragments much larger than Aubiose?
I use Megazorb at the moment, but have a piggy with very silly curly hair - and Megazorb does get stuck in it :roll: so it'd be good if there is a tangle-free option! :lol:

[Holly]

The pieces are a bit bigger than Aubiose - but when you sort of grab a handful of it it feels nice and soft (a lot like Aubiose in fact, just bigger).

I'm well impressed - I, too, found the Aubiose not as absorbent as I'd like for my piggies, it's fine for hams who don't wee as much. I'm hoping the Hemcore will be better - will keep you posted.

[DonnaB]

I shall watch this thread with interest!

I've been using Aubiose from Cooks (thanks) for the rabbits litter trays and Luna the Hammie's bedding. I'm quite pleased with it so far, but it could do with being maybe a little more absorbant as a few of my foster buns are big 'wee-ers, so I'm always looking for the perfect litter/bedding.

You can't get more absorbent than Megazorb according to my local equastrian :) I am allergic to it but it is brilliant

I've been thinking about trying that next, never knew how absorbent it was though, so will go searching, thanks, I'll def try it. :D

[souffle]

I would have a smell of Megazorb before you buy it Donna. Certain batches have a somewhat odd smell which neither Holly nor myself could live with. Sorry but it smells like sick and filled the hammy room with the smell. It does not seem to be all the megazorb that smells funny but we can always tell who's hammies have been kept in it as it does have a distinctve smell. It is of course a personal thing but just thought I'd advise you before you buy a bale and don't like it.

[Faye]

I would have a smell of Megazorb before you buy it Donna. Certain batches have a somewhat odd smell which neither Holly nor myself could live with. Sorry but it smells like sick and filled the hammy room with the smell. It does not seem to be all the megazorb that smells funny but we can always tell who's hammies have been kept in it as it does have a distinctve smell. It is of course a personal thing but just thought I'd advise you before you buy a bale and don't like it.

I've heard of quite a lot of people not liking the smell... I've never had a bad batch yet - mine smells kind of 'papery'... but it is something I would want to sniff before I buy before getting any from any other supplier!

[Spuds Mum]

GAAAAHHHHH :twisted: so today I went on a 3 hour round trip to buy our first batch of Aubiose after searching everywhere locally for it around 3 months now! (thanks to Souffle who gave me the address of a place in Horbury that stocks it)
So today another idea crops up that may be better for the LHs than Aubiose! How typical is that lol :roll:
Anyways, Aubiose it is for now, and I've cleaned out the LHs and Dubaku is settled nicely on his - he seems to really like it and I loved the texture as I was putting it in.
I have never even tried to find megazorb as I do have a really sensitive sense of smell, and even the thought of smelling 'sicky' makes me feel nauseous, but I will keep asking for updates Holly to see whether a new search is required... for Hemcore! :x

[souffle]

They had both in the place in Horbury where we got it but the Hemcore did seem to have bigger bits as Holly said. Napoleon does not get the aubiose tangled at all in his coat but does often sport some attractive streamers of ripped loo roll! We only use it for Nappy and the dwarfies as the others are happy and settled on the shavings and we dont want to upset them with a change. The others have been on aubiose since we got them.

[Holly]

I'm still impressed, no tangles last night and those that fortify their nests with substrate have all built great nests with it 8)

[Holly]

Gah! Went to get some more Hemcore today as I'm getting a bit low-ish (I don't usually use substrate this quickly but the piggies have been indoors all the time due to the rubbish weather so I'm getting through more)...and, guess what?! They didn't have any :?

Apparently they were out of Aubiose for a couple of weeks and everyone who usually has Aubiose took Hemcore instead...yes, you guessed it, loads of them have been back and said they like the Hemcore better - now they are out of that....grrrrrrr.

Only good thing is they've got bales and bales of Aubiose :roll: ....so I bought one of those and now I'll use that for all my SH's/LH girls and dwarf hams and keep the Hemcore for the LH boys (it really is better than Aubiose for keeping the tangles down to just about zero 8) ). I think I'll mix the two for the piggies - I do find it more absorbent on GP wee but I don't have enough Hemcore for the GP's as well.

[DonnaB]

Isnt that typical Julie!

Well I've bought a bag of Megazorb, though not opened it yet. Its been sitting in the garage for a week and I havent noticed any smell coming from itYET, but I guess if it really stinks when I open it, the outside bunnies can have it!

How does the Hemcore and Aubiose compare pricewise and bagsize.... I do still have loads of Aubiose left, but I'm full up now, bunny wise (7), so I imagine it'll be going down a lot quicker this week. :x

[Holly]

Actually........perhaps I was a bit hasy earlier :oops:

I started cleaning out this afternoon (I've done 13 hammy cages and the piggies :shock: ) and I noticed how soft and lovely the...erm....Aubiose was :oops:

So I've put Aubiose in all the hammy cages - including the LH boys - just to see if there is a big difference in the tangling. I have to say I've had Rolo (LH satin) out for a run just now and he was a bit tangled up - but the other LH boys who've been out so far (Mars and Toby) are no different to with the Hemcore.

Aubiose is softer and kind iof nice though :oops:

[Spuds Mum]

I found somewhere locally who could order me Hemcore and Aubiose after all that searching Julie :roll:
Would you recommend I ask them to order Hemcore instead of the Aubiose then? And are they comparable price wise? :?:

ETA:

darn that simultaneous posting we do Julie! :x
comfort is a big issue with me, the Aubiose does feel soooo soft I can imagine the hams really enjoy walking on it. I've had Dubs with tiny taffles so far, but I think they are more 'bedhead' taffles than Aubiose getting caught up....

will let you have a think about it, then let me know
what's your bag (or bale I guess) :x

[Holly]

They are exactly the same price-wise (I'd already paid for Hemcore when they realised they didn't have any) but I'm not so sure I like Hemcore better now :?

The hemcore definitely tangles less on Rolo, not sure about the other boys but I've always had a problem with Rolo's satin LH hair. The Aubiose is nicer to use and softer for the hams, I think - I didn't realise until I started using it again today.

I'm thinking of getting both - Hemcore for Rolls and the piggies (It's definitely better for them - less smelly than Aubiose) and Aubiose for the rest of the hams!

Sorry I can't give a straight answer :x

[souffle]

Napoleon never gets the Aubiose tangled at all. He does however get the loo roll caught up a bit. I will stick with the Aubiose for him. It is £8.50 a bale where we get it.