Animal Cookies
Also known as: Animal Crackers, BCBD Animal Cookies
Breeder: BC Bud Depot (Canada)
Animal Cookies represents a deliberate improvement on Girl Scout Cookies by BC Bud Depot, engineered to deliver higher potency, better yields, improved plant structure, and a more complex terpene funk while retaining the original cookie flavor. Released in the early-to-mid 2010s after their GSC cut won the 2013 High Times Medical Cannabis Cup, it became one of the most prolific breeding parents of the modern era. Through Animal Mints it is a grandparent of Wedding Cake, and through Apple Fritter (Sour Apple x Animal Cookies) it spawned an entirely separate dynasty. PhenoDB lists 241 direct crosses.
Lineage & Genetics
Cross: Girl Scout Cookies (BC Bud Depot's Cup-winning cut) x Fire OG Bx3
Girl Scout Cookies (Forum Cut): OG Kush x Durban Poison, bred by Cookie Fam (San Francisco), balanced hybrid 19-28% THC, sweet earthy doughy aroma with mint and cherry notes. Contributes sweet dessert flavor, purple potential, balanced euphoric effects, trichome density. Fire OG Bx3: OG Kush x SFV OG Kush backcrossed to the third generation, indica-dominant 20-25% THC, strong pungent citrus and fuel aroma. Three generations of backcrossing stabilized traits. Contributes potency boost, deep body effects, citrus/fuel terpenes, improved structure and yield over base GSC.
Lineage Dispute
Some sources attribute Animal Cookies to Seed Junky Genetics — this appears to be a conflation with Animal Mints (Animal Cookies x SinMint Cookies), which IS a Seed Junky creation. Primary-source evidence overwhelmingly credits BC Bud Depot.
Terpene Profile
Beta-Caryophyllene — Primary dominant; peppery, spicy, woody; anti-inflammatory via CB2 receptor activation
Myrcene — Secondary; earthy, musky, herbal; sedation, muscle relaxation, couch-lock contributor
Limonene — Tertiary; citrus, bright, uplifting; mood elevation, anxiety relief
Humulene — Minor; hoppy, earthy; anti-inflammatory, appetite suppressant
Linalool — Minor; floral, lavender; calming, anxiolytic
Aroma: Primary sweet doughy cookie directly from GSC heritage. Secondary pungent fuel/diesel from Fire OG Bx3. Tertiary earthy, skunky, herbal undertones with vanilla, sour citrus, and nutty richness. Very strong — powerful enough to fill a room. Demands carbon filtration.
Flavor: Inhale is sweet, nutty, cookie-like with cherry notes. Exhale is earthy, herbal with lingering vanilla and sour tang. Aftertaste is fuel-like with peppery finish. BC Bud Depot describes it as cherry cookies taste.
Effects & Experience
Onset: Fast-acting cerebral euphoria within 0-15 minutes. Mood elevation and mental uplift with a creativity spark before body effects settle in.
Intense full-body relaxation (body melting) at 15 minutes to 2 hours. Deep physical sedation, strong happiness and contentment. Heavy couch-lock at higher doses — even experienced users may find themselves immobilized. Significant appetite stimulation.
Duration: 2-4 hours depending on tolerance. Blissful cerebral phase fades into heavy physical sedation.
Commonly Reported Uses
Growing Characteristics
Grow Tips: The #1 growing challenge is humidity control in late flower. Extremely dense and compact buds trap moisture internally creating ideal conditions for Botrytis that is invisible from outside until mold has already spread. Keep RH below 45% from week 6 onward — non-negotiable. Run oscillating fans at canopy level 24/7 (0.5-1.0 m/s airspeed). Defoliate strategically at week 3 and again at week 6 of flower. Inspect bases of largest colas weekly during final 3 weeks — physically spread calyx clusters and look for grey/brown tissue. Maintain 0.5-1m spacing between plants. Air exchange rate minimum once every 3 minutes. Animal Cookies is a moderate feeder — NOT heavy. Start at 50% manufacturer strength. Veg NPK 3:1:2, EC 0.8-1.4 soil. Transition to bloom in first 2 weeks of flower, reduce nitrogen 30%. Peak flower EC 1.6-2.2 (do not exceed 2.4). Optional PK 13/14 at half dose for weeks 4-6. Flush final 7-14 days until runoff EC below 0.5. CalMag supplementation at 3-5 mL/L especially in coco or RO water. The bushy short-internode structure demands training. Top at 4th/5th node, LST to flatten canopy, SCROG recommended for max yield and airflow separation. Lollipop bottom 1/3 at end of veg or first week of flower. Harvest at 70-80% milky/cloudy, 10-20% amber trichomes. Don't rush the final week — phenos allowed to finish fully (9-10 weeks) develop significantly deeper terpene complexity. Dry whole branches in dark room at 60-68°F, 55-60% RH, never point fans directly at buds, target 10-14 days. Do NOT rush below 7 days. Cure in mason jars at 75% capacity, 58-62% RH with Boveda packs. Minimum 2-4 weeks, optimal 6-8 weeks for peak terpene expression. Common mistakes: ignoring humidity control in late flower, overfeeding, skipping training (creates impenetrable canopy with no airflow), harvesting early, using high-heat HPS lighting, neglecting branch support (heavy colas snap in weeks 7-9). Pro tips: cooler night temps (60-65°F) in final 2 weeks encourage purple coloration. Supplement with silica in veg for stronger cell walls and improved mold resistance. Harvest in the dark period when terpene production peaks. Use VPD chart rather than just RH targets.
History & Origin
Developed by BC Bud Depot in Canada in the early 2010s. Their GSC cut won #1 Hybrid at the 2013 High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in Los Angeles, after which Animal Cookies was released as GSC x Fire OG Bx3. Initially clone-only, later available in regular seed form. Gained popularity across West Coast markets. Seed Junky Genetics later crossed it with SinMint Cookies to create Animal Mints, and Lumpy's Cut crossed it with Sour Apple to create Apple Fritter.
Awards & Recognition
- ●GSC parent cut won #1 Hybrid at 2013 High Times Medical Cannabis Cup Los Angeles (BC Bud Depot)
Notable Crosses
Strains bred using Animal Cookies as a parent:
Sources & References (19)
- All claims in this profile are derived from the following sources, cross-referenced for consistency:
- BC Bud Depot (breeder, primary source) — [bcbuddepot.com](https://bcbuddepot.com/marijuana-seeds/regular/animal-cookies/)
- SeedFinder.eu (strain database) — [seedfinder.eu](https://seedfinder.eu/index.php/en/strain-info/animal-cookies/bc-bud-depot)
- Leafly (consumer platform, lab data) — [leafly.com](https://www.leafly.com/strains/animal-cookies)
- Weedmaps (dispensary/strain database) — [weedmaps.com](https://weedmaps.com/strains/animal-cookies)
- Cannaconnection (growing resource) — [cannaconnection.com](https://www.cannaconnection.com/strains/animal-cookies)
- PhenoDB (genealogy database) — [phenodb.eu](https://phenodb.eu/family/animal-cookies)
- Strainpedia (growing guide) — [strainpedia.com](https://www.strainpedia.com/animal-cookies/)
- STRNG Seeds (detailed grow tips) — [strngseeds.com](https://strngseeds.com/learn/animal-cookies-strain-flavor-aroma-and-growing-tips/)
- Blimburn Seeds (feminized seed data) — [blimburnseeds.com](https://blimburnseeds.com/animal-cookies/)
- Green Sativa (strain profile) — [greensativa.com](https://greensativa.com/blog/strain-spotlight-animal-cookies/)
- This Is Why I'm High (aggregated data from 39 sources) — [thisiswhyimhigh.com](https://thisiswhyimhigh.com/strains/animal-cookies)
- TERPHOUSE (terpene data) — [terpenewarehouse.com](https://terpenewarehouse.com/products/animal-cookies-terpenes)
- Now I have comprehensive information to compile the strain profile. Let me organize my findings:
- *Breeder**: There's some disagreement. Multiple sources credit BC Bud Depot (Canadian seed bank), but some sources like Strainpedia credit Seed Junky Genetics. The most reliable sources (BC Bud Depot's own website, SeedFinder, Weedmaps, Cannaconnection, Leafly) consistently credit BC Bud Depot. However, Seed Junky Genetics also claims Animal Cookies (Island Herbz article). Let me note both but give primary credit to BC Bud Depot based on weight of evidence.
- *Genetics**: BC Bud Depot crossed their award-winning GSC with Fire OG Bx3 to create Animal Cookies. This lineage is confirmed across multiple independent databases including SeedFinder, Weedmaps, and Cannaconnection. The confusion with Seed Junky likely stems from their creation of Animal Mints (Animal Cookies × SinMint Cookies), which is a different strain. Given the overwhelming primary source evidence, BC Bud Depot is the clear breeder.
- *MAC 1 clarification**: The user's claim that Animal Cookies is part of the Alien Cookies lineage that produced MAC 1 isn't accurate. Animal Cookies (GSC × Fire OG) and Alien Cookies (Forum Cut GSC × Alien Dawg) are distinct strains that happen to share a GSC parent. MAC 1 actually comes from Alien Cookies F2 × Miracle 15, created by Capulator—so while they're related through GSC, Animal Cookies isn't directly in MAC 1's lineage.
- That said, Animal Cookies does have its own significant legacy through Animal Mints (Animal Cookies × SinMint Cookies), which then became a parent of Wedding Cake (Triangle Kush × Animal Mints). I should clarify this distinction in the profile to avoid perpetuating the confusion.
- *Apple Fritter**: Confirmed as Sour Apple × Animal Cookies, created by Lumpy's Cut / Green Wolf Genetics.
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