6 Benefits of Hemp Bedding for Chickens

Your chicken’s bedding, or litter, is more than just what’s under their feet. It is essential for a healthy coop and a healthy flock. But not all bedding is created with your chickens in mind. Which is why choosing bedding that supports healthier birds is so important. And no, we aren’t talking about wood shavings or straw, we’re talking about hemp bedding.

Hemp bedding is growing in popularity with chicken owners because it’s an all-natural bedding alternative that promotes dry, clean, and fresh environments that protect against disease. If you’re still using shavings, here are all the benefits of hemp bedding for your chickens.

What is hemp bedding? 

Here at Green Fox, we proudly grow industrial hemp and produce our own Hemp Hurd animal bedding using the woody core of the hemp plant.

Once the hemp stalks are harvested from our farm's fields, our Rookie Farmers bail them and bring them to our facility down the road. From there we process our Hemp Hurd animal bedding through “decortication”.

During this process, we naturally remove the core of the plant and breakdown into the smaller “hurd” pieces you see when you open a bag of bedding.

The result is soft, low-dust, and chemical-free bedding that we package ourselves. And unlike our competitors, we choose to do everything ourselves, from start to finish, to ensure the highest quality product for you and your animals.

Benefits of Hemp bedding for Chickens

Hemp bedding outperforms wood shavings, straw, and even sand litter. Here are all the benefits of hemp bedding that make it the most effective and sustainable choice for chicken coops.

1. 2x More Absorbent

Hemp bedding is 2x more absorbent than shavings, absorbing about 4x its weight in moisture. Having highly absorbent bedding keeps your coop drier and prevents the buildup of bacteria from damp litter. And because it’s highly absorbent, hemp bedding doesn’t have to be replaced as often as traditional bedding. Which uses less bedding overtime and keeps your coop drier longer.

2. ultra Low Dust

Hemp bedding is virtually dust free compared to shavings. And because chickens produce dust themselves, it’s important to minimize the dust in the air for improved respiratory health and an overall cleaner coop. Hemp Hurd bedding is highly recommended for people and animals with allergens or asthma.

3. reduced ammonia odors

Hemp naturally controls moisture which helps to neutralize and reduce ammonia and other coop related odors. This leaves your coop smelling fresh and reduces the risk of ammonia-related illnesses in your chickens.

4. longevity for less cleaning

Since hemp chicken bedding is highly absorbent and low dust, it doesn’t have to be cleaned or completely changed out as often as shavings. Hemp bedding also clumps when wet instead of spreads making it easier to do simple cleaning instead of a full cleanout because less bedding is removed during the process. The longevity of the bedding and simplicity of cleaning saves you both time and money.

“I love this stuff! It keeps it dry, it’s easy to clean, it’s soft on their feet and I think they (chickens) like it too. The price is worth it because it “evens” out because of its longevity. It really keeps the dust down, which is a big deal!” – Joanna D.

5. eco-friendly and Compostable

We are committed to sustainable practices for the communities we serve and the planet. And that all starts with industrial hemp. Industrial hemp is a carbon-sequester which helps eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. Our hemp is grown using regenerative farming practices and processed at our zero-waste facility. Making this a sustainable solution before it even gets to your coop.

Hemp bedding is all-natural and compostable. It decomposes faster than traditional bedding which makes cleanup and disposal easy and eco-friendly.

5. Soft and comfortable

Our Hemp Hurd animal bedding is all-natural and chemical-free making it a safe choice for your flock, especially for nesting. With no fillers or additives, it’s soft to touch, gentle on feet and eggs, and supports natural behaviors.

Hemp bedding is also safe for chickens to consume. The nutritional and environmental benefits can lead to improved immune and feather health for cleaner eggs, and cleaner coops.

Hemp Bedding's Frequently Asked Questions

There is an educational gap when it comes to industrial hemp. Here are our most frequently asked questions about hemp and our hemp bedding.

1. where does green fox source its hemp?

Unlike many of our competitors, we grow our hemp right on our family-owned farm in central Minnesota! We don’t import hemp from other countries, so you can be confident in knowing exactly where your product comes from.

2. Will my animals get high?

No, your animals can’t get high from hemp. Industrial hemp is grown in compliance with U.S. government regulations, which requires THC levels to be below 0.3%. This amount is too low to produce any psychoactive effects.

3. does hemp hurd attract pests?

No, our Hemp Hurd bedding doesn’t attract pests. Hemp actually contains natural compounds that repel insect, parasites, and other pests.

Why Switch to hemp bedding

By switching to hemp bedding, you’re reducing the risk of health issues your chickens could be dealing with now and down the road. We are proud to offer hemp bedding that naturally creates cleaner coops and healthier birds.

You shouldn’t have to second guess that something is safe, especially when that something is the bedding your animals are in every day. Ready to ditch your dusty shavings? Hemp Hurd bedding is waiting!