Smoothie Hemp Available for Livestock Feed: Contact for Shipping details and rates
Last updated: October 27, 2026
When hempseed is de-hulled to make hemp hearts, not all of it leaves the plant as whole seed or as hearts. A fraction stays behind: broken kernels, pieces of hull, small particles. Nordic Hemp sells that fraction as smoothie hemp, and it is available now for livestock feed. In trade terminology it is a hempseed fine fraction, granular rather than whole and never pelleted. Until recently it had almost no market of its own. Feed buyers are starting to treat it as an ingredient.
This guide covers what the product actually is, how it differs from hempseed cake and hempseed meal, what the feeding trials show for cattle, pigs, poultry and horses, and how to specify it before you buy.
Smoothie hemp is the fine fraction left over from de-hulling hempseed: broken kernels and hull fragments. Nutritionally it sits between hempseed meal and hempseed hulls, because the kernel fragments bring protein and fat while the hull fragments bring fibre. In feeding trials, dehulled hemp meal replaced 15% of dietary dry matter in place of canola meal in lactating dairy cows with no change in dry matter intake, milk yield, milk protein or milk fat. Hemp hulls at 20% of dry matter increased feed intake in lambs without affecting weight gain. Because a granular fraction blends into a total mixed ration better than whole seed and needs no pelleting, smoothie hemp is a practical alternative to hempseed cake where the ration is mixed on farm or in a feed mill.
in hempseed meal
NDF in hempseed meal
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- What smoothie hemp is
- How does it differ from cake, meal and hulls?
- Nutritional value and the neighbouring products
- Does it work in dairy and beef cattle diets?
- How much can pigs and poultry take?
- Is it suitable for horses?
- Particle size and what it does in a feed mill
- What should you specify before you buy?
- Frequently asked questions
What smoothie hemp is
Hempseed goes through several mechanical steps before it becomes a food ingredient. It is cleaned at the farm, then cleaned again and de-hulled at the processing plant. Every one of those steps produces a fine fraction. Some kernels break. Some hulls split and separate into fragments. Small particles pass through the sieves.
That combined fraction is smoothie hemp. In trade terminology it is described as a fragmented fraction derived from decortication, made up of broken hempseed, broken dehulled hempseed and hempseed hulls. It is a physical mixture of the two parts of the seed, not a chemically distinct product.
The practical point for a feed buyer is that it is granular, not whole and not pelleted. That single property drives most of the handling advantages and most of the questions.
How does it differ from cake, meal and hulls?
Four hempseed by-products reach the feed market, and they are routinely confused. The differences matter because the nutritional profile and the commercial description are not the same.
| Hempseed cake / meal | What is left after the oil is pressed out of the seed. Protein concentrates here because the fat has been removed. This is the standard protein feed in the hemp category. |
| Hempseed hulls / shells | The outer coat of the seed on its own, separated during de-hulling. Very high in fibre, low in protein and fat. Used as a fibre source. |
| Smoothie hemp | The mixed fine fraction: broken kernels plus hull fragments. Sits between meal and hulls, because it contains both kernel material and hull material. |
| Whole hempseed | Intact seed with the hull still on. Balanced fat and fibre, but must be processed or rolled before most animals use it efficiently. |
If you are choosing between cake and smoothie hemp for a specific ration, our comparison of smoothie hemp and hempseed cake sets the two side by side by species.
The distinction that trips people up most often is the word flour. In feed terminology, a hemp flour made from stalk is a different product entirely from a seed fraction. If you are buying a protein and fibre ingredient, ask which part of the plant it came from before you compare it with anything else.
Nutritional value and the neighbouring products
The published figures for the neighbouring products show where a seed fraction sits.
Hempseed meal, which is the pressed residue, typically carries 28 to 32% crude protein, 9 to 10% oil and 32 to 40% neutral detergent fibre. Whole hempseed carries 20 to 25% crude protein, 30 to 35% oil and 30 to 35% NDF. Hempseed hulls, when separated on their own, carry little protein and a high fibre load.
Smoothie hemp falls between the meal and the hull figures, because it contains both broken kernel and hull fragments. The exact composition depends on the ratio of those two fractions in a given production run, which is why the useful number is the analysis for the specific lot and not a generic table.
To be clear about what those figures are: every number in this section describes the neighbouring products, not this one. Smoothie hemp carries more hull than meal does, so expect a lower protein figure and a higher fibre figure than the meal column. The measured values for our material are issued per lot.
Product specification for smoothie hemp
We report the measured values for each lot rather than an industry average. The parameters a feed formulator needs are crude protein, crude fat, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, ash and moisture.
- Crude protein, crude fat, NDF, ADF, ash and moisture are reported per lot by an accredited laboratory.
- Particle size is stated so the mill can plan for dust and flow behaviour.
- Organic status is documented if your ration has to carry an organic claim.
- Full documentation travels with each shipment: specification sheet, certificate of analysis and certificate of conformity.
- Microbiological and regulated-parameter panel is available with the lot analysis on request.
The current lot analysis is available on request. Use the form at the bottom of this page and we will send the full specification for the material we have in stock, including any parameters this article does not cover.
Does it work in dairy and beef cattle diets?
This is where the evidence is strongest, and it is worth being precise about what it covers. The trial below was run on lactating dairy cows, so read the numbers as dairy evidence. A controlled trial at a Canadian university replaced canola meal with dehulled hemp meal in the diets of twelve lactating Holstein cows, at 15% of dietary dry matter. Three isoenergetic and isonitrogenous rations were compared: canola meal only, hemp meal only, and a 50/50 split.
The result was flat, and flat is exactly what a feed buyer wants to see.
| Dry matter intake | No difference between diets |
| Milk yield | No difference |
| Milk protein | No difference |
| Milk fat | No difference |
| Total-tract fibre digestibility | No difference |
| Blood metabolites | No difference |
In other words, hemp material took the place of canola meal at 15% of dry matter and the cows performed identically. The trial also found that apparent total-tract dry matter digestibility was lowest on the all-hemp ration, which tells you the practical working level is around 15% rather than at 30%.
For beef cattle the direct evidence is thinner, and it is worth saying so. Hempseed cake has been fed to growing and finishing cattle in published work, where the higher fibre content raised neutral detergent fibre intake compared with a soya-based supplement while dry matter intake stayed comparable. Treat that as supporting evidence rather than as a recommendation at a specific inclusion rate.
How much can pigs and poultry take?
Pigs are less tolerant than ruminants, for one clear reason: fibre. Hempseed material is high in neutral detergent fibre and lignin, and a growing pig has a limited capacity to handle it.
Digestibility itself is not the problem. In a study comparing hempseed meal with linseed meal and canola meal in growing pigs at 25 to 30% inclusion, apparent ileal crude protein digestibility was essentially identical between hemp and linseed, at 86.5 and 86.7%. Standardised ileal digestibility of several essential amino acids was actually higher for hemp than for linseed, and mostly higher than for canola meal. Crude fat digestibility was clearly better on hemp than on linseed, at 91.9 against 84.7%.
The limit shows up in growth performance, not in digestibility. A pilot study with 60 kg growing pigs found that 10% hempseed meal could partially replace soybean meal when the ration was formulated to meet the standardised ileal digestible lysine requirement. At 15%, growth fell.
| Growing pigs | 10% of the diet as a partial soya replacement, with lysine balanced. Above that, growth suffers. |
| Gestating sows | Worth testing. Dietary fibre in sow gestation diets is well recognised for improving satiety, reducing stereotyped behaviour and supporting gut health, which makes a fibre-rich seed fraction a logical fit. |
| Poultry | Published maximums for hempseed cake run at 3% for fattening birds and 5 to 7% for laying hens, so treat poultry as the tightest of the species covered here. |
Is it suitable for horses?
Horses handle hempseed material better than any other species tested, and the reason is the fibre. The horse hindgut is built for fermenting fibre, so a high-fibre seed fraction is a natural fit rather than a constraint.
The only dedicated palatability study published so far found that horses clearly preferred hempseed meal pellets over soybean meal and over sugar beet pulp, with palatability comparable to rice bran. They also increased their intake over time without reducing hay consumption, which is the result a horse owner cares about most.
A pilot study then pushed the inclusion rate much further. Diets contained 0, 10, 20 or 40% hempseed meal, fed alongside grass hay. No refusals occurred at any level, including 40%. Total-tract protein digestibility, hay intake and faecal scores were unaffected.
Two caveats belong in the same paragraph. That pilot used a small number of horses, and the lignin content of the material was 14.4%, which is high compared with grains and soybean meal. The finding establishes acceptability and short-term safety at 40%, not a long-term recommendation at 40%.
Particle size and what it does in a feed mill
A granular product behaves differently from whole seed and from pellets, and in a feed mill that difference is mostly in your favour.
Smoothie hemp mixes into a total mixed ration evenly. Whole seed tends to segregate and rise to the surface of a mix, which means some animals get more of it than others. Pellets need a pelleting line, which adds cost and heat. A granular fraction distributes through the mixer and stays distributed.
The trade-off is dust. A fine fraction generates more airborne particles during unloading and mixing than whole seed does, which means extraction at the intake pit matters. Screening the material to a stated particle size range solves most of it, and stating that range on the specification is how you make the behaviour predictable.
What should you specify before you buy?
Four things decide whether a lot is right for your ration.
- The analysis for that lot, not a generic table. Protein, fat, NDF, ADF, ash and moisture. The ratio of kernel to hull varies between production runs and the analysis is the only way to know which one you have.
- Particle size range. So you know what the material will do in your intake, mixer and augers.
- Organic status and certification. If your ration has to carry an organic claim, the certificate has to match the lot.
- The full parameter set for your market. Ask for everything you need before you commit to a volume, not after. We will send the complete specification on request.
Looking for smoothie hemp in bulk for feed use?
Nordic Hemp grows hemp on over 5,000 hectares in Estonia and processes it in its own facility. We supply smoothie hemp in bulk for livestock feed, with a certificate of analysis and full documentation. As of October 2026, 55 tonnes are available for feed use. Send us your specification requirements and we will send the lot analysis.
Contact us about smoothie hempFrequently asked questions
What is smoothie hemp exactly?
It is the fine fraction left over from cleaning and de-hulling hempseed: broken kernels, broken dehulled seed and pieces of hull. It is a physical mixture of the two parts of the seed, granular rather than whole, and it is not the same product as hempseed cake or hempseed meal.
Is smoothie hemp the same as hempseed cake?
No. Hempseed cake is what remains after the oil is pressed out, so it is high in protein and low in fat. Smoothie hemp is a de-hulling fraction, so it contains both kernel material and hull material and carries more fibre. It works as a practical alternative to cake where fibre is welcome, not as an identical substitute.
Can smoothie hemp replace canola meal in dairy rations?
In a controlled trial with twelve lactating Holstein cows, dehulled hemp meal replaced canola meal at 15% of dietary dry matter with no change in dry matter intake, milk yield, milk protein, milk fat or fibre digestibility. Total-tract dry matter digestibility was lowest on the all-hemp ration, so 15% is a sensible working level.
How much can I feed to pigs?
About 10% of the diet for growing pigs, with the lysine requirement met. At 15%, growth performance fell in a pilot study because of the fibre load. Gestating sows are worth testing, because dietary fibre in gestation improves satiety and gut health.
Can horses eat smoothie hemp?
Horses accept hempseed material well. A pilot study found no refusals at inclusion levels up to 40% of the concentrate, with no effect on protein digestibility, hay intake or faecal scores. That study was short and small, so 40% is evidence of acceptability and short-term safety rather than a long-term recommendation.
Why is a granular fraction easier to handle than whole seed?
A granular fraction mixes evenly into a total mixed ration and stays mixed. Whole seed segregates and rises to the surface of the mix. A granular product also skips the pelleting step. The trade-off is more dust at the intake, which a stated particle size range and proper extraction at the pit will handle.
What documentation should come with a shipment?
A certificate of analysis for that specific lot covering protein, fat, fibre, ash and moisture, plus the particle size range and the organic certificate if an organic claim is needed. Ask for the complete specification for your market before you commit to a volume.
What makes and parameters are not listed in this article?
This article covers nutrition, inclusion levels and handling. The full specification for a specific lot, including every parameter your market requires, is sent on request with the certificate of analysis. Contact us and we will send it for the material we have in stock.
Sources
Peer-reviewed and trade sources used for the figures in this article.
- Addo F, Gervais R, Ominski K, Yang C, Plaizier JC (2023). Comparing dehulled hemp meal and canola meal as a protein supplement for lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 106: 8670 to 8683.
- Trottier NL, Yeager CE. Harnessing hemp: evaluating nutritional value and application in equine and swine diets. Department of Animal Science, Cornell University.
- Presto MH, Lyberg K, Lindberg JE (2011). Digestibility of amino acids in organically cultivated white-flowering faba bean and cake from cold-pressed rapeseed, linseed and hemp seed in growing pigs. Archives of Animal Nutrition 65: 21 to 33.
- Federation of International Hemp Organizations (2024). Hemp in livestock feed: global review and consensus document on feed compositional considerations for hempseed byproducts.
- Evaluation of hemp hulls and screenings as alternative feed ingredients for ruminants (2026). Canadian Journal of Animal Science.
- EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (2011). Scientific opinion on the safety of hemp for use as animal feed. EFSA Journal 9(3): 2011.
