Chicken Geek

We Compared 6 Hemp Beddings on Cost per Litre

We converted every bag of hemp bedding here to cost per litre, because the cheapest looking bag on this page is the most expensive bedding in the guide.

Monogram avatar with the initials S R

By Sam Reddick Lead gear reviewer, Chicken Geek

Fact checked by Marta Voss

Published Prices and stock checked 7 min read

Hens standing on a loose layer of dry plant bedding inside a coop
Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture (CC0 1.0)

Hemp bedding is sold two different ways, and that is the whole problem. Some brands print litres on the front of the bag. Others print pounds. A buyer looking at both reaches for the small bag, because the number next to the dollar sign is smaller, and walks off with the most expensive bedding on the shelf.

Convert everything to litres and the table falls apart. Dominion is 285 L for $58.95, about 21 cents a litre. RentACoop is 300 L for $72.95, about 24 cents. All Walks is 18.5 L for $24.99, which works out at about $1.35 a litre. That is more than six times what Dominion costs, for the same crop, processed the same way, doing the same job in the same coop.

So this guide ranks on cost per litre of expanded bedding first, and on what the listing actually tells you second. We have also said where a small bag is still the right buy, because a chick brooder and a nest box do not need 285 litres of anything.

Our picks at a glance

Every product below wins one specific situation. Pick the row that matches your flock, your yard and your budget rather than reading top to bottom.

Compare every pick side by side

Swipe the table sideways to see every column on a phone.

6 hemp bedding for chickens compared on the specs that change the buying decision. Prices and availability checked 2026-08-08.
Product Award Price band Bag SizeHemp FormStated AbsorbencyDust ClaimOrigin GrownStated Coverage Best use case
Dominion Hemp 285L Best Overall $30 to $60 285 L, 30 lb, listed as 10+ cubic feetMade from hemp stalks, hurd or fibre not statedUp to 4x its weightLow dustUSA-grown hempNot stated Keepers bedding a whole coop floor who want the lowest cost per litre and… Check price
RentACoop 300L Best for Working Out Coverage Before You Order $60 to $120 300 L, 30 lb baleExtra-soft rounded hemp fibresNot stated as a figure, listed as super absorbentLow-dust, dust-free style formulationE.U. grownExpands to about 10.6 cu ft, covers about 60 sq ft at 2 in depth Anyone who wants to measure a coop floor, pick a depth and order the righ… Check price
Small Pet Select Hurd Best Mid-Size Bag for a Small Coop $30 to $60 18 lb, bag 26 x 9 x 17 inHemp hurd from the inner core of the stalkUp to 400% of its weight in moistureLow-dustNot statedNot stated A small coop or a two to four bird flock where a 30 lb bale would sit hal… Check price
Eaton Pet and Pasture Best for Nest Boxes and Weekly Top-Ups $30 to $60 8 lb, recyclable paper bagHemp hurd, the soft inner core of the stalkUp to 2x the absorbency of pine shavingsLow-dustUSA-grown hemp, packaged in the USANot stated Keepers who bed the floor from a bale and want a small, named-hurd bag to… Check price
Premium Poultry Cozy Coop Best for Sifting Droppings Every Day $30 to $60 10 lbUltra-fine siftable hemp fibreNot stated as a figure, listed as highly absorbentTitle says No Dust, bullets say low-dust compositionMade in USANot stated Keepers who scoop droppings out of the coop daily with a sifting scoop ra… Check price
All Walks 18.5L Best Small Bag for a Chick Brooder Under $30 18.5 L (3.7 lb)Described only as 100% natural hemp, hurd or fibre not statedAbsorbs 4x as much as pineLow dust, triple filter process to reduce fine particlesNot statedAdd 1 to 2 in of bedding, floor area not stated A chick brooder, a hospital crate or a small pet cage where you want a mo… Check price

The full reviews

Each review below follows the same order: what it is, why it won its category, how it behaves in real use, and who should buy something else.

1 Best Overall

Dominion Hemp Premium Hemp Bedding for Chicken Coops 285L - 30lbs, 1-Pack

Dominion Hemp Premium Hemp Bedding for Chicken Coops 285L - 30lbs (Dominion Hemp 285L)

285 litres for $58.95 works out at roughly 21 cents a litre, the lowest rate in this guide, and USA-grown stalk is about as much as any hemp listing here will tell you.

What we liked

  • Roughly 21 cents per litre of expanded bedding, the lowest rate here
  • Just under $2 per pound, which no other bag in this guide matches
  • 285 L is enough to run a small flock through a season of clean-outs
  • USA-grown hemp, stated plainly rather than left blank

What we did not

  • The listing says only hemp stalks, so whether you get soft hurd or stringy fibre is unknown until the bale is open
  • No stated coverage figure, so you cannot count bales per clean-out before ordering
  • A 30 lb bale left on a garage floor wicks damp up through the wrapper over a winter and turns musty
  • The 4x its weight absorbency claim uses a different baseline from the pine-based claims on other bags, so it cannot be compared
Check price on Amazon

About $58.95 checked Aug 8, 2026

Key specifications

Dimensions
15 x 11 x 25 in (L x W x H)
Weight
30 pounds
Colour
Beige
Bedding Type
Hemp hurd
Coverage
About 285 L expanded
Absorbency
Very high
Dust Level
Low
Compost Speed
Fast
Deep Litter
Well suited
Bag Size
285 L, 30 lb, listed as 10+ cubic feet
Hemp Form
Made from hemp stalks, hurd or fibre not stated
Stated Absorbency
Up to 4x its weight
Dust Claim
Low dust
Origin Grown
USA-grown hemp
Stated Coverage
Not stated

Why the Dominion Hemp 285L wins this category

On the one number that decides this guide, nothing else is close. 285 litres for $58.95 is about 21 cents a litre. RentACoop, the only other 30 lb bale here, sits at about 24 cents. Everything else in this guide is sold in bags too small to bed a coop floor at a sensible rate, and the smallest bag of all runs at roughly $1.35 a litre.

Per pound the picture repeats. Dominion lands just under $2 a pound. That is the floor for this category on this page.

It also states its origin, USA-grown, which two of the six listings here decline to do at all.

Living with the Dominion Hemp 285L

Buy it as a season's supply rather than a top-up. A 30 lb bale is a compressed brick when it arrives and expands to a listed 10-plus cubic feet, so give it more room than the shipping box suggests.

Storage is the part people get wrong. Hemp holds moisture well, which is the point in a coop and a problem in a garage. Set the bale on a pallet or a shelf, not straight onto concrete, or it will draw damp through the bottom of the wrapper across a wet month and smell of it when you open it.

The absorbency claim, up to 4x its weight, is a real figure but not a comparable one. Two other bags here measure themselves against pine instead. Do not put those numbers in the same column.

Where the Dominion Hemp 285L falls short

The listing tells you the crop and not the cut. Made from hemp stalks covers both hurd, the soft absorbent inner core, and fibre, the long stringy outer material that mats and drifts more. Small Pet Select and Eaton both name hurd outright. Dominion does not, so the texture is a surprise until the bale is open.

There is also no coverage figure. RentACoop states about 60 square feet at 2 inches deep, which lets you measure a coop and order once. Dominion leaves you to work it out after the first clean-out.

And $58.95 is a large single outlay, second here only to RentACoop, which is a genuine problem if you would rather spread the cost across the year.

Research based, not hands-on

Assessed on the published bale volume, weight and origin from the live listing, then converted to cost per litre and cost per pound and ranked against the other five bags here.

Recommendation based on: Manufacturer bale volume, weight and origin from the live Amazon listing; Cost per litre and cost per pound calculated across all six products in this guide; Published differences between hemp hurd and hemp fibre in absorbency and matting behaviour.

Best for
Keepers bedding a whole coop floor who want the lowest cost per litre and have somewhere dry to store a 30 lb bale.
Skip it if
You need a small quantity for a brooder or a couple of nest boxes, because 285 litres will sit around going damp.
The limitation to plan around
You cannot tell from the listing what texture you are buying. It says hemp stalks and stops there, so plan for the possibility of stringier material than a hurd-labelled bag.

2 Best for Working Out Coverage Before You Order

RentACoop Premium Hemp Bedding for Chickens, Rabbits, Horses - 300L (30lbs)

RentACoop Premium Hemp Bedding for Chickens (RentACoop 300L)

The only listing here that publishes coverage, about 10.6 cubic feet expanded and roughly 60 square feet at 2 inches deep, which is the one figure that lets you count bales before you spend.

What we liked

  • States expanded volume and floor coverage, which no other bag in this guide does
  • 300 L bale at about 24 cents a litre, the second lowest rate here
  • Names the material as extra-soft rounded hemp fibres rather than leaving it blank
  • Origin is stated as E.U. grown rather than left unanswered

What we did not

  • At $72.95 it is the largest single outlay in this guide, about $14 more than the cheaper 30 lb bale
  • Costs roughly 3 cents more per litre than Dominion for the same 30 lb of hemp
  • Described as fibres rather than hurd, and fibre mats and drifts more than the chunky inner core
  • Absorbency is listed only as super absorbent with no figure, so there is nothing to check
Check price on Amazon

About $72.95 checked Aug 8, 2026

Key specifications

Dimensions
16 x 10 x 30 in (L x W x H)
Weight
29.5 pounds
Colour
Tan
Bedding Type
Hemp hurd
Coverage
About 300 L expanded
Absorbency
Very high, roughly 4x its weight
Dust Level
Low
Compost Speed
Fast
Deep Litter
Well suited
Bag Size
300 L, 30 lb bale
Hemp Form
Extra-soft rounded hemp fibres
Stated Absorbency
Not stated as a figure, listed as super absorbent
Dust Claim
Low-dust, dust-free style formulation
Origin Grown
E.U. grown
Stated Coverage
Expands to about 10.6 cu ft, covers about 60 sq ft at 2 in depth

Why the RentACoop 300L earns its place

Because it answers the question every other listing here dodges. RentACoop states that the bale expands to about 10.6 cubic feet and covers roughly 60 square feet at 2 inches deep.

That turns a guess into arithmetic. A 4 by 8 foot coop floor is 32 square feet, so one bale covers it about twice over at 2 inches. A 6 by 10 foot floor is 60 square feet, so one bale is one clean-out. Now you know whether you are ordering one bale or three, before any money moves.

Five other listings in this guide leave you to discover that after the bag is open.

Living with the RentACoop 300L

It is a 300 litre bale at $72.95, which is about 24 cents a litre. That is the second best rate here and it is genuinely good, it just is not the best.

The material is described as extra-soft rounded fibres. Rounded matters more than soft. Sharp, splintery bedding is what you are trying to avoid under bird feet, and RentACoop at least says something about the shape of what is in the bag.

Origin is given as E.U. grown. That is neither better nor worse than the USA-grown bales here, but it is stated, and two listings in this guide state nothing at all.

Where the RentACoop 300L falls short

Money, and then material. At $72.95 this is the largest single outlay in this guide, and the extra buys you roughly the same 30 lb of hemp that Dominion sells for $58.95. Per litre you pay about 3 cents more. Over a couple of years of reordering, that adds up to more than the coverage figure was worth.

The word fibres is the other flag. Hemp fibre is the long stringy outer material, and it mats into a crust and drifts on a breeze more than hurd, the chunky inner core, does. Two bags in this guide name hurd outright. This one does not.

Absorbency is given only as super absorbent, with no number attached, so there is nothing there to check even against itself.

Research based, not hands-on

Assessed on the published expanded volume, coverage figure, bale weight and origin from the live listing, then converted to cost per litre and compared against the other five bags.

Recommendation based on: Manufacturer expanded volume and coverage specification from the live Amazon listing; Cost per litre and cost per pound calculated across all six products in this guide; Published differences between hemp hurd and hemp fibre in matting and drift.

Best for
Anyone who wants to measure a coop floor, pick a depth and order the right number of bales in one go.
Skip it if
Cost per litre is the only thing you care about, because another 30 lb bale here does the same job for less.
The limitation to plan around
You are paying about 3 cents a litre more than the cheapest bale for information rather than material. That is a fair trade once, and a poor one if you reorder the same bale for years.

3 Best Mid-Size Bag for a Small Coop

Small Pet Select Hemp HURD Chicken Coop Bedding, Odor Control, 18 lb

Small Pet Select Hemp HURD Chicken Coop Bedding (Small Pet Select Hurd)

18 lb at $44.99 is about $2.50 a pound, the best rate of the four bags here under 20 lb, and it is one of only two listings that names hurd instead of saying hemp and stopping.

What we liked

  • About $2.50 per pound, the best rate of the four bags here under 20 lb
  • Names hemp hurd from the inner core, so you know the texture before it arrives
  • 18 lb suits a small coop that would take months to work through a 30 lb bale
  • Hurd is the chunky absorbent cut rather than the stringy outer fibre

What we did not

  • Costs about 27 percent more per pound than the 30 lb bale that wins this guide
  • No litre or expanded volume figure at all, so it cannot be priced against the bales on their own terms
  • No stated coverage, so you cannot work out how many bags a clean-out takes before buying
  • Origin is not stated anywhere in the listing, unlike the two USA-grown options here
Check price on Amazon

About $44.99 checked Aug 8, 2026

Key specifications

Dimensions
26 x 9 x 17 in (L x W x H)
Weight
18 pounds
Colour
brown
Bag Size
18 lb, bag 26 x 9 x 17 in
Hemp Form
Hemp hurd from the inner core of the stalk
Stated Absorbency
Up to 400% of its weight in moisture
Dust Claim
Low-dust
Origin Grown
Not stated
Stated Coverage
Not stated

Why the Small Pet Select Hurd suits a small coop

Because the honest answer to "which hemp should I buy" changes with the size of your coop. A 30 lb bale is the cheapest hemp per litre in this guide, and it is the wrong purchase for someone with three hens in a 4 by 4 foot house who would still be working through it next spring.

At $44.99 for 18 lb, the Small Pet Select Hurd is about $2.50 a pound. That is the best rate of the four bags here under 20 lb, and it is close enough to the two big bale rates that the convenience is not costing you much.

It also tells you what is in the bag. Hemp hurd, from the inner core of the stalk, is the short chunky material rather than the long stringy fibre, and only one other listing in this guide is that specific.

Living with the Small Pet Select Hurd

The bag is 26 by 9 by 17 inches, which is a shape that fits a shelf or a bin rather than needing floor space of its own. That matters more than it sounds when the alternative is a 30 lb brick.

Absorbency is stated as up to 400% of its weight. Read that as the brand's own figure and nothing more. Two other bags here quote themselves against pine instead, so there is no shared baseline to rank on.

Hurd behaves well underfoot. It is chunky enough to stay put under a scratching hen better than fine fibre does, and it still drifts out of a floor-level pop door like every hemp here.

Where the Small Pet Select Hurd falls short

The unit problem. There is no litre figure and no expanded volume figure anywhere in the listing, only 18 pounds. So the moment you want to know whether it is better value than a 285 L bale, you cannot answer it on volume, which is the unit that matches your coop floor.

On weight it is clearly behind. About $2.50 a pound against just under $2 for the winning bale is roughly 27 percent more for the same crop. Buy this because 18 lb is the right size for you, not because it is cheap.

Origin is blank too. Two listings in this guide say USA-grown and one says E.U. grown. This one says nothing.

Research based, not hands-on

Assessed on the published bag weight, material description and absorbency wording from the live listing, then converted to cost per pound and compared against the five other bags in this guide.

Recommendation based on: Manufacturer bag weight and material description from the live Amazon listing; Cost per pound calculated across all six products in this guide; Published differences between hemp hurd and hemp fibre in absorbency and texture.

Best for
A small coop or a two to four bird flock where a 30 lb bale would sit half used and go damp before you finish it.
Skip it if
You are bedding a large coop floor, because buying this repeatedly costs noticeably more per pound than a bale.
The limitation to plan around
There is no volume figure anywhere on the listing, only weight, so this bag can never be compared directly against the litre-priced bales without opening it first.

4 Best for Nest Boxes and Weekly Top-Ups

Eaton Pet and Pasture USA-Grown Hemp Bedding for Chickens & Rabbits, 8 Lbs

Eaton Pet and Pasture USA-Grown Hemp Bedding for Chickens & Rabbits

An 8 lb paper bag of named hurd that you can carry in one hand, which is the right shape for topping up nest boxes rather than bedding a floor at about $3.87 a pound.

What we liked

  • Names hemp hurd from the soft inner core rather than saying hemp and stopping
  • USA-grown and packaged in the USA, both stated on the listing
  • 8 lb is a one-hand bag, easy to keep by the nest boxes for weekly top-ups
  • Recyclable paper bag rather than plastic wrap

What we did not

  • About $3.87 per pound, close to double the rate of the 30 lb bale that wins this guide
  • Bedding a whole coop floor from 8 lb bags gets expensive fast, so this is a top-up product
  • No volume or coverage figure at all, so you cannot plan how many bags a season takes
  • The absorbency claim is measured against pine shavings, a different baseline from the weight-based claims here
Check price on Amazon

About $30.99 checked Aug 8, 2026

Key specifications

Dimensions
0 x 0 x 0 in (L x W x H)
Weight
6.25892361818 pounds
Bedding Type
Hemp hurd
Coverage
About 8 lb, small coop top-up
Absorbency
High
Dust Level
Low
Compost Speed
Fast
Deep Litter
Well suited
Bag Size
8 lb, recyclable paper bag
Hemp Form
Hemp hurd, the soft inner core of the stalk
Stated Absorbency
Up to 2x the absorbency of pine shavings
Dust Claim
Low-dust
Origin Grown
USA-grown hemp, packaged in the USA
Stated Coverage
Not stated

Why the Eaton Pet and Pasture works as a top-up bag

Nest boxes empty at a different rate from coop floors. Hens dig, they settle, they throw material over the lip, and a box that was full on Sunday is bare by Thursday. Dragging out a 30 lb bale to fix that is a nuisance, and most keepers end up refilling from whatever is nearest instead.

An 8 lb paper bag solves that specific problem. You can lift it with one hand, keep it inside the coop or on a shelf beside it, and pour a handful into each box on the way past.

It is also one of only two listings in this guide that names hurd, the soft inner core of the stalk, so you know you are putting the chunky absorbent cut into the boxes rather than stringy fibre.

Living with the Eaton Pet and Pasture

Origin is stated twice over: USA-grown hemp, packaged in the USA. That is more than most of this field offers.

The bag is recyclable paper rather than plastic film, which is genuinely convenient for a bedding you empty in stages, because a paper bag rolls shut and stands up. It is also the one thing to keep off a damp floor, since paper wicks in a way a plastic wrap does not.

The absorbency claim, up to 2x the absorbency of pine shavings, is measured against pine rather than against its own weight. That puts it in the same camp as the All Walks claim and a different camp from the two weight-based claims here, which is exactly why we do not rank this column.

Where the Eaton Pet and Pasture falls short

Price per pound, and it is not close. At $30.99 for 8 lb this works out around $3.87 a pound. The 30 lb bale that wins this guide is just under $2. You are paying roughly double for the same crop because you wanted it in a bag you can lift.

That is a fair trade for nest boxes. It is a bad trade for a floor. Bedding a coop from 8 lb bags means buying four of them to match one bale, and spending a little over twice as much to do it.

There is no coverage or volume figure either, so you cannot plan a season around this bag. You buy one, use it, and buy another when it runs out.

Research based, not hands-on

Assessed on the published bag weight, material description, origin and absorbency wording from the live listing, then converted to cost per pound and compared against the other five bags here.

Recommendation based on: Manufacturer bag weight, material and origin statements from the live Amazon listing; Cost per pound calculated across all six products in this guide; Published differences between hemp hurd and hemp fibre in absorbency and texture.

Best for
Keepers who bed the floor from a bale and want a small, named-hurd bag to keep beside the nest boxes for weekly top-ups.
Skip it if
You are bedding a coop floor, because at this rate per pound the cost of a full clean-out is hard to justify.
The limitation to plan around
This is a top-up size and it prices like one. Using it as your only bedding means paying roughly twice the per pound rate of a bale for the same material.

5 Best for Sifting Droppings Every Day

Premium Poultry Cozy Coop, Siftable No Dust Hemp Bedding, 10lb, Made in USA

Premium Poultry Cozy Coop

An ultra-fine siftable hemp fibre that suits a keeper who scoops the coop daily with a kitty litter scoop, provided you read the dust wording rather than the product title.

What we liked

  • Ultra-fine siftable texture, so droppings can be scooped out daily instead of stripping the layer
  • Made in USA, stated on the listing rather than left blank
  • 10 lb bag is easy to store and pour without help
  • Fine material settles into a flat layer over an uneven coop floor

What we did not

  • The title says No Dust while the brand's own bullets say low-dust composition, and those are two different claims
  • About $4.00 per pound, roughly double the rate of the 30 lb bale that wins this guide
  • Ultra-fine fibre is the lightest material here, so it drifts out of a floor-level pop door faster than hurd does
  • No absorbency figure and no coverage figure, so there is nothing to plan an order around
Check price on Amazon

About $39.99 checked Aug 8, 2026

Key specifications

Dimensions
0 x 0 x 0 in (L x W x H)
Colour
Brown
Bag Size
10 lb
Hemp Form
Ultra-fine siftable hemp fibre
Stated Absorbency
Not stated as a figure, listed as highly absorbent
Dust Claim
Title says No Dust, bullets say low-dust composition
Origin Grown
Made in USA
Stated Coverage
Not stated

Why the Premium Poultry Cozy Coop suits daily sifting

There are two ways to keep a coop clean and they want different bedding. Deep litter wants coarse material that aerates when you turn it. Daily sifting wants fine material that falls through a scoop while the droppings stay in it.

This is the fine one. Ultra-fine siftable hemp fibre is described for exactly that job, and if you already keep a sifting scoop by the coop door, particle size is the spec that decides whether the routine takes two minutes or twenty.

Made in USA is stated, which two listings in this guide decline to answer at all.

Living with the Premium Poultry Cozy Coop

A 10 lb bag is a sensible amount for a sifting system, because sifting removes droppings rather than bedding, so the layer lasts far longer than a strip-and-replace layer does. You top up rather than replace.

Fine material also settles flat. On a plywood floor with a slight dip in it, coarse bedding sits high in one corner and thin in another. This does not.

Neither an absorbency figure nor a coverage figure appears anywhere on the listing, so treat this as a bedding you buy by feel and reorder when the bag is empty.

Where the Premium Poultry Cozy Coop falls short

Start with the wording, because it matters. The product title says No Dust. The brand's own bullet points say low-dust composition. Those are not the same claim, and no dried plant bedding is dust free. Take the bullets as the real figure and the title as marketing.

Then the price. At $39.99 for 10 lb this is about $4.00 a pound, roughly double the rate of the winning 30 lb bale. You are paying for the particle size, not for more hemp.

The particle size cuts both ways too. Ultra-fine fibre is the lightest material in this guide, so it drifts. A coop with a pop door cut level with the floor will push this into the run every day until you screw a 4 inch board across the opening. It is also the wrong material for deep litter, where fine particles pack down and go anaerobic instead of aerating when turned.

Research based, not hands-on

Assessed on the published material description, bag weight, origin and the wording of the dust claims in the title against the bullets on the live listing, then priced per pound against the field.

Recommendation based on: Manufacturer material description and dust wording from the live Amazon listing; Cost per pound calculated across all six products in this guide; Published behaviour of fine hemp particles in sifted versus deep litter bedding systems.

Best for
Keepers who scoop droppings out of the coop daily with a sifting scoop rather than stripping and replacing the whole layer.
Skip it if
You run deep litter, because a fine siftable material is designed for the opposite job and packs down instead of aerating.
The limitation to plan around
The particle size that makes it siftable also makes it the lightest bedding here, so a coop with any low opening will lose it into the run steadily.

6 Best Small Bag for a Chick Brooder

All Walks | Hemp Bedding for Small Animals 18.5L (3.7 LBS) | Low Dust, Odor Control, Highly Absorbent, Natural Cage Bedding for Rabbits, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Birds, and More

All Walks (All Walks 18.5L)

The lowest price on the page at $24.99 and, at roughly $1.35, the highest cost per litre of the three bags here that publish a litre figure, which makes it a sensible brooder bag and a bad way to bed a coop floor.

What we liked

  • Lowest pack price in this guide, which suits a one-off brooder setup
  • 18.5 L is about right for a brooder box you empty and refill often
  • A triple filter process to reduce fine particles is described rather than just claimed
  • Small 17 by 5 by 5 inch bag stores on a shelf next to the brooder

What we did not

  • Roughly $1.35 per litre, more than six times the rate of the 285 L bale in this guide
  • Close to $6.75 per pound, the steepest rate of any bag compared here
  • Described only as 100% natural hemp, so hurd or fibre is unknown until the bag is open
  • Coverage is given as 1 to 2 inches deep with no floor area attached, so the figure plans nothing
Check price on Amazon

About $24.99 checked Aug 8, 2026

Key specifications

Dimensions
17 x 5 x 5 in (L x W x H)
Colour
Black
Bag Size
18.5 L (3.7 lb)
Hemp Form
Described only as 100% natural hemp, hurd or fibre not stated
Stated Absorbency
Absorbs 4x as much as pine
Dust Claim
Low dust, triple filter process to reduce fine particles
Origin Grown
Not stated
Stated Coverage
Add 1 to 2 in of bedding, floor area not stated

Why the All Walks 18.5L is a brooder bag, not a coop bag

At $24.99 this is the lowest pack price in this guide, and that is the trap the whole article is built around. Run the unit sum and it is roughly $1.35 per litre, more than six times the rate of the 285 L bale here, and close to $6.75 per pound.

None of that makes it a bad product. It makes it a small animal bedding, priced and packaged like one, sold on a page next to poultry bales.

For a brooder, that is fine. A brooder box holds a few inches of bedding, gets fouled fast and gets stripped completely every few days for the first weeks. You want a modest amount you can pour, use and finish, and 18.5 L is that amount.

Living with the All Walks 18.5L

The bag is 17 by 5 by 5 inches. It stands on a shelf beside the brooder and does not need a corner of the garage.

The dust wording is more specific than most here. Rather than only saying low dust, the listing describes a triple filter process intended to remove fine particles. That is a process claim rather than a measured figure, but it is at least a description of what was done, which matters in a brooder where chicks sit directly in the bedding with their heads inches from it.

The absorbency claim, 4x as much as pine, is measured against pine rather than against its own weight. Two other bags here measure themselves against their own weight instead, so the numbers do not sit in one column.

Where the All Walks 18.5L falls short

The unit rate is the headline problem and it is severe. Bedding a 32 square foot coop floor to 2 inches takes many multiples of this bag, and doing it at $1.35 a litre costs several times what one bale costs to do the same job with the same crop.

The material is unnamed. 100% natural hemp covers both hurd and fibre, and the two behave differently underfoot, so you do not know what you have until the bag is open.

The coverage note is close to useless as well. Add 1 to 2 inches of bedding tells you a depth and gives you no floor area, so it cannot help you decide how many bags to order. And origin is not stated anywhere.

Research based, not hands-on

Assessed on the published bag volume and weight from the live listing, converted to cost per litre and cost per pound, then ranked against the five other hemp products in this guide.

Recommendation based on: Manufacturer bag volume, weight and dust process description from the live Amazon listing; Cost per litre and cost per pound calculated across all six products in this guide; Published differences between hemp hurd and hemp fibre in absorbency and drift.

Best for
A chick brooder, a hospital crate or a small pet cage where you want a modest amount of clean bedding and will change it often.
Skip it if
You are bedding a coop floor of any size, because at this rate the same job costs several times what a bale costs.
The limitation to plan around
The bag is priced as a small animal product rather than a poultry product, so the unit rate only makes sense at brooder volumes and never at coop volumes.

How we compared these hemp beddings

We took every listing and converted it to a single number: dollars per litre of expanded bedding. Where a bag gives only pounds, we worked out dollars per pound as well, so the small bags could be placed somewhere honest rather than left out.

We did not rank absorbency. Four of these six publish an absorbency claim and no two of them use the same baseline, so any column comparing them would be a column we made up.

What we did compare is what the listing tells you: the form of the hemp, whether coverage is stated, where the crop was grown, and how the dust wording is phrased in the title against the bullets.

What actually matters in hemp bedding

Cost per litre, not the price on the bag

This is the whole guide. Hemp is a compressed product, so a 30 lb bale is a small brick until you open it and it triples in size. That is why brands can sell 285 litres and 18.5 litres on the same page and both look reasonable.

Run the numbers on the six here and the order changes completely. Dominion at $58.95 for 285 L is about 21 cents a litre. RentACoop at $72.95 for 300 L is about 24 cents. All Walks at $24.99 for 18.5 L is about $1.35 a litre. Per pound the same pattern holds: Dominion sits just under $2 a pound and All Walks sits close to $6.75.

None of that makes All Walks a bad bag. It makes it a small bag, priced like a small bag, and it is a poor way to bed a coop floor.

Stated coverage, which almost nobody gives you

Absorbency claims are noise. Coverage is the figure that changes what you order.

RentACoop is the only listing here that publishes one: about 10.6 cubic feet expanded, roughly 60 square feet at 2 inches deep. With that you can measure your coop floor, pick a depth and count bales per clean-out before you spend anything. The other five leave you to find out by opening the bag.

That single figure is a real part of why RentACoop is worth its higher price to some keepers, even though it is not the cheapest per litre.

Hurd or fibre, and when the listing will not say

Hemp stalk gives two different materials. Hurd is the soft inner core, and it is short, chunky and absorbent. Fibre is the stringy outer material, and it is longer, lighter and more prone to matting and drifting.

Small Pet Select and Eaton both say hurd outright. RentACoop says extra-soft rounded fibres. Premium Poultry says ultra-fine siftable fibre. Dominion says only that it is made from hemp stalks, and All Walks says only 100% natural hemp, so with those two you find out what you bought when you open the bale.

Dust wording, read twice

Every bag here says low dust in some form. One says more than that. Premium Poultry puts No Dust in the product title and low-dust composition in its own bullet points. Those are two different claims and only one of them is a claim any dried plant product can meet.

The thing owners find out in week two

Hemp is light, and light bedding drifts.

If your pop door is cut level with the coop floor, you will lose bedding into the run every day. Not a lot at once, just a steady trickle that you notice when the bale runs out a month early. The fix costs a couple of dollars: screw a 4 inch board across the bottom of the opening so the hens step over a lip on the way out. Do the same on any low door you sweep through.

The second habit worth building is storage. A 30 lb bale sitting on a garage floor will wick damp up through the wrapper over a winter. Get it on a pallet or a shelf.

Final recommendation

Dominion Hemp 285L is the pick for most coops. At roughly 21 cents a litre it is the lowest cost per litre here, it is USA-grown, and 285 litres is enough to run a small flock through a season of clean-outs. Plan for the $58.95 up front and for somewhere dry to keep the bale.

If you want to know how many bales you need before you order, RentACoop 300L is the one that tells you, and that figure is worth the extra $14 to some keepers. For a coop too small to justify a 30 lb bale, Small Pet Select Hurd at 18 lb is the sensible middle. And for a brooder or a couple of nest boxes, All Walks 18.5L is a fine small bag, just never a way to bed a floor.

Questions people ask before buying

How do I compare hemp bedding prices when the bags use different units?

Convert everything to one unit and ignore the front of the bag. Litres is the more useful of the two, because it is a volume and your coop floor is a volume. If a listing gives only pounds, divide the price by the pounds and compare that instead, but do not mix the two. In this guide the spread is large: Dominion works out at roughly 21 cents a litre and just under $2 a pound, while All Walks is about $1.35 a litre and close to $6.75 a pound.

Which hemp bedding actually absorbs the most?

Nobody can tell you from the listings, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. All Walks says it absorbs 4x as much as pine. Dominion says up to 4x its own weight. Small Pet Select says up to 400% of its weight. Eaton says up to 2x the absorbency of pine shavings. Those are four different measurements against different baselines, so putting them in a ranked column would be inventing a comparison that does not exist. Judge on cost per litre and on what the listing tells you about the material.

Is hemp bedding really dust free?

No bedding made from a dried plant is dust free, and the wording on these bags moves around a lot. Premium Poultry says No Dust in its product title and low-dust composition in its own bullets, which are not the same claim. Every product here says low dust in one form or another. Hemp does genuinely throw less of a cloud than pine shavings, and the habit that helps most is filling your bucket outside and carrying it in rather than tipping a bale out in a closed coop with the birds inside.

How much hemp bedding do I need for my coop?

Only one listing here gives you enough to do the sum. RentACoop states that a 300 L bale expands to about 10.6 cubic feet and covers roughly 60 square feet at 2 inches deep. Work from that. A 4 by 8 foot coop floor is 32 square feet, so one bale covers it about twice over at that depth. The other five listings do not state coverage, so you are guessing at how many bales a year you will get through.

Does hemp bedding get kicked out of the coop?

Yes, and this is the thing owners find out in week two. Hemp is light and it drifts, so any coop with a pop door cut level with the floor will steadily lose bedding into the run every time the birds go in and out. The fix is cheap: screw a 4 inch board across the bottom of the pop door opening so the birds step over a lip. Do the same across any low doorway you sweep out through.

Is hemp better than pine shavings for a chicken coop?

It holds more moisture and puts less dust in the air, and it costs meaningfully more per litre than kiln-dried pine. If your coop has a damp or ammonia problem, or you run deep litter through a season, hemp is worth the difference. If you strip the coop out weekly in a dry climate, you are paying for absorbency you never use, and pine does the job. Hemp also composts faster than pine, which is worth real money if you garden.

Why you can trust this guide

Written by
Sam Reddick, Lead gear reviewer, Chicken Geek. Specialist areas: Coop design and predator proofing, Feeding and watering systems, Cold-weather flock management, Incubation and brooding.
Fact checked by
Marta Voss
Published
August 8, 2026 · Last updated August 8, 2026 · Products and links rechecked August 8, 2026
How we picked
We converted every bag to litres and to pounds, then worked out cost per litre and cost per pound across the field. Absorbency claims were recorded but not ranked, because the three brands that publish a figure measure it against three different baselines.
Evidence used
None of the 6 products on this page were sent to us or bought for a hands-on test. Every recommendation here is research based: manufacturer specifications, listed dimensions and materials, owner feedback at volume, and comparison against equipment our team has owned. Each review states this again above the buy button so you are never guessing which kind of evidence sits behind a pick.
Editorial standards
No brand pays for placement, and no manufacturer sees this page before it goes live. Read our editorial policy and testing method.
Affiliate disclosure
Chicken Geek is reader supported. We earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you, and no brand has paid for a placement or an award here.

About the author

Monogram avatar with the initials S R

Sam Reddick

Lead gear reviewer, Chicken Geek

Sam has kept a backyard laying flock for eleven years, through two coop rebuilds, one very determined raccoon and several winters cold enough to freeze a waterer solid overnight. He writes the buying guides at Chicken Geek and is responsible for how products get compared.

  • Eleven years keeping a mixed laying flock of 8 to 14 birds
  • Has built, bought and replaced six different coops
  • Runs the product comparison framework used across Chicken Geek
  • Reads manufacturer manuals, spec sheets and warranty terms before every recommendation