Hemp as Bedding for Chickens
Hemp is premium bedding for chickens.
Here are some tips for using Industrial Hemp as bedding for chickens, and the benefits I have experienced when using it.
I was given some leftovers from a farmer who had bailed his field two years ago, and my chickens loved it.
They enjoyed scratching at the long fibers and picking through them.It gave them something to do during the long cold days of winter.
The other advantages were:
- It had a clean smell
- It absorbed odours very well for a long time
- There was no dust
- There was no mould
- It was warmer than hay
It is important to have bedding that is absorbent, and helps eliminate mites and parasites. Hemp bedding is great because it is four times more absorbent than other litter, antifungal, anti bacterial and naturally pest resistant.
If I were to use Hemp as bedding again, I would cut it into shorter lengths, about 6 inches long. This would stop the long fibers from wrapping around the chicken’s feet and tripping them.
Industrial Hemp bedding can be composted and breaks down completely within 90 days, making a nutrient rich compost that can be used on gardens or fields.
Other people have compared Indistrial Hemp to other chicken bedding options and rated Industrial Hemp as superior too.
This video compares using pine shavings with hemp shavings and hemp nesting mats and the aromatic hemp mats from Myfavouritechicken.com.
This video is also a good tutorial about how to do the deep litter method.
They concluded that the hemp bedding was better, since it was more absorbent, not dusty, easy to change, and masked odours much better than regular hay.
I agree!
I highly recommend this as an eco friendly, non- toxic alternate to hay.
Sources
“Pine Shavings vs Hemp Bedding”
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Chickenlandia
