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Could someone PLEASE tell me the difference between straw and hay??

post #1 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:03pm
Thread Starter 

We always bought hay for our horses - it looked like dried johnson grass, to me, lol.

Then today my husband came back from the feedstore with what they said was "coastal hay".  It was very fine grass with tons and tons of seeds in it.

Since we're now paying over $12 for a bale of hay, I just wanted to make sure they hadn't accidentally given me straw instead of hay.

And - why do so many BYCers think straw is better than hay for muddy pens?

"Never complain about growing old ... 'tis a privilege denied to many"

~Mark Twain~

 

Home to my wonderful, chicken-tolerant DH, 2 wonderful Golden Retrievers,

2 Black Copper Marans, 7 Barred Rocks, 5 Americaunas,

1 Gigantic BO named ButterBall (Birdzilla),
and our daughter, son, their spouses, and 2 GC who drop by frequently

and are crazy about our chickens...all my blessings! Whew!

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"Never complain about growing old ... 'tis a privilege denied to many"

~Mark Twain~

 

Home to my wonderful, chicken-tolerant DH, 2 wonderful Golden Retrievers,

2 Black Copper Marans, 7 Barred Rocks, 5 Americaunas,

1 Gigantic BO named ButterBall (Birdzilla),
and our daughter, son, their spouses, and 2 GC who drop by frequently

and are crazy about our chickens...all my blessings! Whew!

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post #2 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:05pm

A straw is something you drink with. J/k i dont know im curious now.

http://www.youtube.com/user/PoultryBonkers?feature=guide

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http://www.youtube.com/user/PoultryBonkers?feature=guide

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post #3 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:06pm

Never heard of "coastal hay" around here.

straw is the stalks of wheat after they harvest the seed tops.

hay is actual types of grasses grown out and cut.

Husband of 11 years, amazing 4 yo daughter, 9 horses, chickens, a turkey, guineas, a peahen, 3 ducks and 1 duck that THINKS shes a chicken.
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Husband of 11 years, amazing 4 yo daughter, 9 horses, chickens, a turkey, guineas, a peahen, 3 ducks and 1 duck that THINKS shes a chicken.
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post #4 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:07pm

Straw is slippery and yellow, wider than hay.

Hay is finer, greener.

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post #5 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:11pm

Also straw is usally cheaper.  Around here 3-4 dollars a bale.   We got good alfalfa for 6 this year and didn't even have to load it!!  I've heard hay is outrageous down there around you th

Husband of 11 years, amazing 4 yo daughter, 9 horses, chickens, a turkey, guineas, a peahen, 3 ducks and 1 duck that THINKS shes a chicken.
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Husband of 11 years, amazing 4 yo daughter, 9 horses, chickens, a turkey, guineas, a peahen, 3 ducks and 1 duck that THINKS shes a chicken.
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post #6 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:12pm

Hay is just dried grasses.  Straw is Wheat straw, long strong stalks with wheat (seed) on the end.

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post #7 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:18pm

I have heard of and seen "coastal hay" in Forida. Disney World uses a TON of it.  What you probably had was Timothy hay. Hay is used for feed and straw is used for bedding.  Where are you buying your hay at?  Because for $12.00 a bale I will deliver you some of the prettiest hay in the country.  You should be able to buy hay for $3.00 -$7.00 a bale depending on variety.  I have NEVER seen ANY hay worth $12.00/bale.  I assume we are talking about a sandard size bale of hay.   You should be able to get straw for $1.00-$3.00/bale.

1 DW, 2 Gray Silkies, 3 Red Silkies, 2 Mille Fleur Bantam Cochins,  2 spoiled rotten mutt dogs, LOTS of antique John Deere tractors and a new hobby.
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1 DW, 2 Gray Silkies, 3 Red Silkies, 2 Mille Fleur Bantam Cochins,  2 spoiled rotten mutt dogs, LOTS of antique John Deere tractors and a new hobby.
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post #8 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnHenry 

Hay is just dried grasses.  Straw is Wheat straw, long strong stalks with wheat (seed) on the end.


There ya go. Straw is just lots of tough stalks with some leaves, hay is lots of long thin leaves with a few stalks. Straw is often a yellowish color (around here anyway) whereas hay, is a tan or even pale green color.

If I can't do it, it can't be done!

not be me, anyway....
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If I can't do it, it can't be done!

not be me, anyway....
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post #9 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:29pm

I use 2nd cutting hay( grasses) for our rabbits to eat and for the nest boxes (softer). I use Straw (is what is left after wheat harvest) to keep animals warm.

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post #10 of 38
12/9/11 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tsmith1499 

I have heard of and seen "coastal hay" in Forida. Disney World uses a TON of it.  What you probably had was Timothy hay. Hay is used for feed and straw is used for bedding.  Where are you buying your hay at?  Because for $12.00 a bale I will deliver you some of the prettiest hay in the country.  You should be able to buy hay for $3.00 -$7.00 a bale depending on variety.  I have NEVER seen ANY hay worth $12.00/bale.  I assume we are talking about a standard size bale of hay.   You should be able to get straw for $1.00-$3.00/bale.


Yes - we've had a horrible drought here in Texas that's lasted all year - we're down 13" in rain for the year, and we don't get that much to begin with.  sad

I've read that they're now shipping in hay to Texas from Louisiana and Oklahoma, which is perhaps why that hay looked so strange. I've never seen any that looked like tall grass and never seen seeds in it before.  Weird.  Those big round bales of hay are now going for $175 each. We used to buy the small rectangular bales of hay for $3 when we had horses in the 70's - this year, as I said, it's $12 or more.  And the biggest problem is that people are stealing hay from stores - I've read several local stories on how the hay just disappeared from different store lots and represented a huge loss (tens of thousands $) for the store owners. And it's even being stolen out of the fields where it's baled - people just load up in the middle of the night.

Adding a link about hay theft:
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/09/22/hay-the-latest-target-for-thieves-as-prices-skyrocket/


Edited by Moogie - 12/9/11 at 3:47pm

"Never complain about growing old ... 'tis a privilege denied to many"

~Mark Twain~

 

Home to my wonderful, chicken-tolerant DH, 2 wonderful Golden Retrievers,

2 Black Copper Marans, 7 Barred Rocks, 5 Americaunas,

1 Gigantic BO named ButterBall (Birdzilla),
and our daughter, son, their spouses, and 2 GC who drop by frequently

and are crazy about our chickens...all my blessings! Whew!

Reply

"Never complain about growing old ... 'tis a privilege denied to many"

~Mark Twain~

 

Home to my wonderful, chicken-tolerant DH, 2 wonderful Golden Retrievers,

2 Black Copper Marans, 7 Barred Rocks, 5 Americaunas,

1 Gigantic BO named ButterBall (Birdzilla),
and our daughter, son, their spouses, and 2 GC who drop by frequently

and are crazy about our chickens...all my blessings! Whew!

Reply
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