Bedding (animals)

It reduces pressure on skin, heat loss, and contamination by waste produced by an animal or those it shares living space with.

Wood shavings can be dusty and contain aromatic oils that can cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary tract, or skin disorders and other health problems in some animals.

Due to its low dust, hemp bedding is recommended for horses with allergy or respiratory issues.

[4] From an environmental consideration, hemp is more sustainable than wood as it requires both less time and human intervention to grow repeatedly.

[6] Straw is a soft, dry stalk containing small grains such as barley, oats, rice, rye, and wheat.

[2] Sawdust ensures quick and easy cleaning, because of the soiled or wet material begins to clump together.

Although the cleanup is easier, sawdust is known to create a lot of health problems such as respiratory, urinary tract, mastitis, and skin disorders.

[2][7] Waterbeds are used as an alternative to dried manure, sawdust, shells, or sand as bedding for dairy cattle, which produce less milk when they stand too long.

When constructed properly, these cushioned structures decrease irritability and rough textures that can cause pain, pressure, and stress on the subject.

Although incapable to prevent all microbial activity, bedding absorbs a substantial amount of moisture within the animal’s living environment.

Creating an environment conducive for thermoregulation and chemical resistance, along with simple privacy, bedding is ideal for many animal types.

All these factors relay a decrease in stress and pain, encouraging peaceful resting opportunities that in turn increase the overall life, productivity, and well-being of the animal.

It is important to note that weather, frequent bedding maintenance, barn design, ventilation, and stall management influence bacteria levels.

[9] A recent paper on investigations into the biological activities of the plant goes some way to support confidence in its possession of a chemistry adequate to explain such folk use,[10] and could point to a potential for wider use outside its native range.

The plant is an endangered species in the wild, but could be cultivated in mountainous regions with a cold, dry climate.