Winter is Coming!

It is time to keep your chickens warm and happy. This winter, Dominion Hemp suggests trying a Deep Bedding Litter method for your chickens with their increasingly popular hemp bedding.

What is hemp bedding?

Hemp bedding is made from the center portion of the fiber hemp stalk, called the hemp hurd. The “hurd” is super absorbent, odor reducing, and provides a soft landing that chicks absolutely love.

hile some folks are still using other legacy bedding materials for their chicken coops and nesting boxes, many people have discovered the incredible benefits of hemp bedding and making the switch.

Hemp bedding has high odor control, absorbs four times its weight, and clumps like kitty litter, making for easy coop cleaning.

Say goodbye to odor

Hemp has superior ammonia- and odor-reducing qualities compared to other bedding products. Unlike the short-lived pine scent, hemp maintains a neutral odor which keeps ammonia odors at bay.

Hemp is also a natural fly and pest repellent, keeping your coop clean and fresh.

Chicken owners using Dominion Hemp bedding have reported a marked reduction in the smell of ammonia in and around their chicken facilities, making hemp a healthier choice for your flock.

Protect your birds’ respiratory systems

Healthy chickens make for happy owners. The respiratory systems of chickens are quite delicate, and dust is a leading cause of respiratory systems-related illnesses in birds. Dust also creates a thriving environment for mites that can be a nuisance to your birds.

Dominion Hemp takes your animals' health seriously and removes 99% of the dust content before packaging, making for a healthier alternative for your flock.

Hemp absorbs 4x weight so your birds stay dry

Wetness in chicken coops can be common and is caused by both waste and water spillage. Many bedding materials, such as wood shavings and straw, can become damp very fast. Consequently, this creates a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, mites, and other disease-causing organisms.

This dampness can also affect the respiratory health of chickens and even the feet of your birds.

Hemp soaks up moisture like a sponge, making it an ideal bedding for chickens. Not only will the birds stay drier, their home and nests will be drier, as well.

Keep chickens warm and comfy

For egg-laying chickens, a soft landing is critical to prevent cracked eggs (and lost omelets). Bedding materials like wood shavings and sand are often hard on impact. The pillowy loft of hemp hurd absorbs shock, protecting eggs from cracks and breaks when laid or dropped.

Switching to hemp bedding will provide a soft, shock-absorbent landing and gives you one less thing to think about around the henhouse.

Hemp bedding, with its low bulk density and high water absorption, also contributes to thermoregulation and is a great insulator. This helps keep chickens warmer during the winter months​​. Hemp bedding can also contribute to laying eggs longer and more often by maintaining a more consistent temperature within the coop.

What is the Deep Bedding Litter method?

The Deep Bedding Litter system allows you to go longer between coop cleanings—in some cases, up to a full year.

For a deep bedding system, apply 3-5 bags (4-inches deep) to your nesting boxes and chicken run. Hemp absorbs four times its own weight and has a “clumping” aspect similar to kitty litter, allowing for easy cleaning of your run and nesting boxes.

Dominion Hemp recommends turning your bedding every couple of weeks to restore freshness.

Instead of completely cleaning your coop and replacing the bedding every other week, you turn the bedding and only add more bedding, as needed.

The goal is to get a good balance of carbon, from the hemp, and ammonia from the chicken waste, to create the perfect condition for healthy microbes to be added to your compost bin.

Build your Deep Bedding System

3-5 bags for the base

Add 1 bag for replenishing every 45-90 days

Remember to turn the material over every 2 weeks

Learn more:

Visit Dominion Hemp at dominionhemp.com

Hemp Quick Facts:

Hemp bedding is super absorbent; 4 times its own weight

Hemp bedding lasts longer, which saves time and money

Hemp is environmentally friendly and biodegradable

Hemp bedding is low dust and a natural pest/insect repellant

Once people use Dominion Hemp bedding, they become customers for life