We highly recommend keeping chickens or poultry in your backyard or homestead. It’s a sure step towards better self-sufficiency and nutrition (nothing beats an egg harvested from your own backyard). Managed well, they will contribute to the ecological health of your land and build soil. There is of course work and care that is involved that you need to be aware of.
The good news is that it’s never been easier to keep chickens. Hemp bedding makes chicken coop care easy! Read how to do it below. Our hemp chicken bedding is made from the inner core of the hemp stem, which is an unusually absorbent material that excessively outperforms other more common bedding options like straw, wood shavings, and sawdust. This material works for you, and is a cost-effective and low maintenance solution when grown and used properly. We’re glad you’re here! Please reach out to us if you have any questions.
Benefits of Hemp Bedding for Chickens
Hemp chicken bedding is growing in popularity for a number of reasons:
- Since hemp bedding is so absorbent, it keeps chicken coops drier and controls odors better than other materials.
- Its low dust properties help to reduce the risk of infections and respiratory problems in chickens
- It can also repel fleas, mites, and other pests that could negatively impact chicken health.
- Since it lasts so long, it saves you money in the long run (learn more about the deep litter method below!)
- Hemp is soft and comfortable on their feet (especially the AubiChick brand)
- The compost made from chicken manure and hemp hurd is excellent; the hemp hurd is an ideal source of carbon which helps balance your compost pile. Use your composted hemp and chicken manure to build fertility on your land and build gardens and food forests
How to Use Hemp Bedding for Chickens
The deep litter method is the ultimate setup for coops. A deep litter system is a low maintenance method where you essentially “compost in place”, and only clean out your coop once a year. Rather than a thorough clean-out, you simply add small amounts of hemp bedding as you go, and let the microbial life do the work of decomposition. This allows beneficial microbes to form and keeps your coop surprisingly nice and clean smelling! It is actually cleaner even though it is less work.
Types of Hemp Bedding for Chickens
Our most absorbent and best performing hemp bedding for chickens is called AubiChick. This extra fine hemp bedding is particularly comfortable for their feet, and probably the most absorbent bedding you can buy. But some customers prefer our ultra low dust Aubiose for their chickens. Both of these brands are made by expert hemp farmers and outperform even competing hemp products. These two hemp products are the most reliable options you can buy, always meeting a high standard of quality.
AubiChick: The Hemp Bedding for Chickens Gold Standard
AubiChick is the extra soft & fine version of the famous Aubiose brand. The benefits of using this particular hemp bedding for chickens is that it is the perfect size for their feet, and it is extra comfortable for them. Aubichick is even more absorbent than our standard Aubiose hemp and it is without a doubt the most absorbent hemp bedding you can buy, and that’s saying something!
Option 2: Using Aubiose Hemp Bedding for Chickens
Quick Summary: Aubiose is a better choice than AubiChick for dust sensitivities
There is no reason you cannot use our Aubiose hemp bedding for chickens (even though it has a horse on it). In fact, our dust sensitive customers prefer it. Each of our hemp bedding brands has its advantages. You can even mix and match them. Use AubiChick when you need an extra absorbent punch- and to maximize comfort for your birds- but use Aubiose for any animal or owner who is particularly sensitive to dust. The number one compliment we get for using the Aubiose brand is that it is the lowest dust option out there, even compared to other hemp, including AubiChick.
Using Indigenous Microorganisms with Your Hemp Bedding
According to master natural farmer Drake Weinert, “Indigenous Micro Organisms are the original life that has been working for countless generations to purify our Earth’s surface.” Wow, what a statement! By collecting locally indigenous microorganisms and propagating them in our chicken coops, we are participating in this process, increasing the health of the soil life around us, and passing that benefit on to our chickens! With a deep litter hemp bedding system, we create the perfect home for beneficial microorganisms. All we have to do now is collect microorganisms from a healthy ecosystem in our area.
How and where to collect indigenous microorganisms
Almost any forested environment will do, but it’s best to find a site with noticeable mycelial activity, such as a white “fuzz” slightly beneath the surface of the soil. It is also recommended to collect from a slightly higher elevation, so the microbes are a bit tougher and can transition better. The most common and accepted approach involves filling a basket or wooden or bamboo box two-thirds full with “hard cooked rice”. (1:1 rice : water instead of 1:2). Cover with a breathable top (such as a hemp mat!), and let sit in the forest for 3-5 days. In temperate climates, increase to 5-7 days. The rice should now be inoculated with a white mycelium. Cover with equal parts brown sugar or maple syrup to preserve the microorganisms. You have now created a shelf stable microbial culture. The next step is to propagate the culture. We will refer you to our friends at natural farming Hawaii for more information about what to do next! If you are using hemp bedding for chickens this is one of the best ways to improve the fertility of your landscape and health of your animals. Learn more at naturalfarminghawaii.net
Why we Choose to Sell French Hemp Bedding for Chickens
We are farmer homesteaders who first dreamed of growing hemp on our land. So why are our products imported from France? Our goal today is to mimic the success of French hemp farming. They grow the best hemp there and have the largest supply. They have been growing hemp for generations; France never banned hemp farming . Our goal is to create a market demand for this kind of a high quality product so that it can be produced locally. Our hemp bedding initiative creates demand for high quality hemp bedding for chickens, which can eventually be grown locally as we create partnerships with local farmers. Our French farmers have been growing hemp for more than 50 years, and our goal is to recreate their success in America. If done properly, hemp farming can help rejuvenate and regenerate America’s farmlands, ecology, and economy.
The use of hemp bedding is cleaner, healthier, safer, and more comfortable for chickens, in addition to being more eco-friendly and sustainable. For more information about our hemp chicken bedding products, contact us today.
