Hemp and canola blend bedding in a chicken coop — best bedding guide for backyard poultry

Best Bedding for Small Pets, Chickens, Game Birds & Ducks: A Complete Guide

Kourtney Dubay

The right bedding does more than keep your cage & coop clean — it controls moisture, manages odor, supports respiratory health, deters pests, and keeps your birds comfortable year-round. Here's how to choose the best option for your setup and species.

What Makes Good Bedding?

Not all bedding is created equal. The best bedding for poultry and small pets checks most of these boxes:

  • High absorbency — pulls moisture away from birds and keeps the floor dry
  • Low dust — fine dust irritates respiratory systems, especially in enclosed coops
  • Odor control — neutralizes ammonia from droppings
  • Comfortable underfoot — cushions joints and encourages natural scratching behavior
  • Compostable — breaks down into useful garden material at cleanout

Our Top Pick: FLAX FARMS Hemp & Canola Blend

If you're only going to try one bedding, make it this one. The FLAX FARMS Hemp & Canola Blend is our best-selling bedding — and for good reason. It combines the exceptional absorbency and odor-trapping power of hemp with canola for a blend that outperforms pine shavings in nearly every category that matters for poultry keepers.

  • Absorbs up to 4x its weight in moisture — keeps the coop floor dry even with heavy flock traffic
  • Virtually dust-free — critical for respiratory health in enclosed winter coops
  • Neutralizes ammonia odors actively, not just masks them
  • Ideal for deep litter method — composts actively, generates gentle warmth, and produces rich garden-ready compost by spring
  • Works for all species — chickens, ducks, geese, game birds, and small pets
  • Locally sourced — supporting Minnesota agriculture

It's the bedding we recommend first to new customers, and the one our most experienced flock keepers keep coming back to.

🛒 Shop it: FLAX FARMS – Hemp & Canola Blend Bedding, 33 lbs.

Organic Hemp Bedding: Pure Hemp for Maximum Performance

For keepers who want 100% hemp — no blends — our locally grown organic hemp bedding delivers the same dust-free, high-absorbency performance in a pure form. Particularly well-suited for small pets like rabbits and guinea pigs that are highly sensitive to dust and aromatic compounds, and for game birds where respiratory health is a top priority.

🛒 Shop it: Organic Hemp Bedding – Locally Grown, 22 lbs.

Pine Shavings: The Reliable Standard

Pine shavings are the most widely used poultry bedding for good reason — they're absorbent, affordable, and familiar to birds. The natural oils in pine provide mild antimicrobial properties and a pleasant scent. We carry three flake sizes to suit different setups:

  • Small flake — best for brooders, young chicks, and small pets. Fine enough for tiny feet, absorbent, and easy to clean out.
  • Medium flake — the all-purpose workhorse for laying hens and general coop use.
  • Large flake — slower to compact, excellent for deep litter setups and larger birds.

One important note: Always use pine, never cedar. Cedar shavings contain aromatic oils that are toxic to poultry and small animals when inhaled in an enclosed space.

🛒 Shop it:

Straw: Best for Nesting Boxes & Winter Insulation

Straw has a specific sweet spot — it's excellent in nesting boxes where hens want to nestle and shape a nest, and provides good insulation in cold weather. However, straw is less absorbent than hemp or shavings and can harbor mites and mold if it gets wet. Best used as a nesting material or supplemental winter bedding rather than a primary coop floor covering.

🛒 Shop it:

Excelsior Pads: Tidy Nesting Box Liners

Pre-formed nesting box liners made from natural wood fiber — they fit neatly into standard nest boxes, give hens a comfortable laying surface, and are easy to swap out at cleanout. A great low-maintenance option for tidy nesting setups.

🛒 Shop it: Precision Pet – Excelsior Poultry Pads

Bedding Supplements: Boost Any Setup

First Saturday Lime

Sprinkle over droppings before adding fresh bedding to neutralize ammonia, deter insects, and accelerate composting in deep litter setups. Pairs especially well with the FLAX FARMS Hemp & Canola Blend for a high-performance deep litter system.

🛒 Shop it: First Saturday Lime Insect Repellent

Diatomaceous Earth

Food-grade DE dusted lightly into bedding, nest boxes, and dust bath areas helps deter mites, lice, and other external parasites. Use sparingly and avoid creating dust clouds.

🛒 Shop it: Diatomaceous Earth, 4 lbs.

Bedding by Species

Chickens

The FLAX FARMS Hemp & Canola Blend is our top recommendation for most backyard coops — especially for deep litter through a Minnesota winter. Medium or large flake pine shavings are a solid conventional choice. Use excelsior pads or straw in nest boxes.

Ducks & Geese

Waterfowl are messy — they splash water everywhere and produce wet, voluminous droppings. The FLAX FARMS Hemp & Canola Blend handles waterfowl moisture better than any other bedding we carry and is our top pick for duck and goose housing. Keep waterers outside the sleeping area to reduce wet bedding, and plan to add fresh bedding more frequently than you would for chickens.

Game Birds (Turkeys, Pheasants, Quail, Guineas)

Game birds are sensitive to respiratory issues — low-dust bedding is essential. Hemp or the Hemp & Canola Blend is the top recommendation. For quail specifically, avoid large flake shavings; small flake pine or hemp works best for their small feet.

Small Pets (Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Hamsters)

Small animals are highly sensitive to dust and aromatic compounds. Our Organic Hemp Bedding is the gold standard — dust-free, highly absorbent, and free of the aromatic oils found in cedar (which should never be used for small pets). Small flake pine shavings are an acceptable alternative.

Quick Reference: Which Bedding for What?

  • Best all-around / top seller: FLAX FARMS Hemp & Canola Blend
  • Best for deep litter method: FLAX FARMS Hemp & Canola Blend
  • Best for waterfowl: FLAX FARMS Hemp & Canola Blend
  • Best pure hemp / small pets: Organic Hemp Bedding (Locally Grown)
  • Best conventional option: Medium Flake Pine Shavings
  • Best for brooders & chicks: Small Flake Pine Shavings
  • Best for nesting boxes: Straw or Excelsior Pads
  • Best for game birds: Hemp Bedding or Small Flake Pine

Browse our full bedding collection at BloomingtonFarmAndFeed.com — available for local delivery or pickup in the Twin Cities metro.

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