Hay ???

[cajun1]

I see alot of people using hay in their coop. My question, what kind of hay? I know dairy cows in my area eat a green hay and "straw hay" is used for bedding. I'm thinking straw hay is used in the coops. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[linuxman]

Anything will work, it is a matter of what is available, and what is cheap.

 

[slfg]

You would want straw, not hay. Or at least I would want straw Straw is hollow, better for bedding...like wheat straw. They take the grain out and what's left is baled into straw. Hay is from grasses, it is cut and baled and is food for animals. Hollow straw is better as bedding because it's going to be dryer. I would think hay would draw moisture and get moldy faster than straw. Not sure, but straw may be cheaper than hay anyway.

 

[cajun1]

Anything will work, it is a matter of what is available, and what is cheap.

Both types are free to me in my area. Thank you for the reply.

 

[res]

You would want straw, not hay. Or at least I would want straw

Straw is hollow, better for bedding...like wheat straw. They take the grain out and what's left is baled into straw. Hay is from grasses, it is cut and baled and is food for animals. Hollow straw is better as bedding because it's going to be dryer. I would think hay would draw moisture and get moldy faster than straw. Not sure, but straw may be cheaper than hay anyway.

Hay and straw are BOTH going to be dry. Neither should be baled with moisture in it, as it will mold and rot, whether it is hay or straw.

Straw in my area is way more expensive than hay, mainly because it is sold onesy-twosey by greenhouses and nurseries. Usually it is upwards of $7 a bale. I can find hay as low as $1 a bale if I am looking for a chicken bedding hay vs. a feeding hay. A "bedding" hay to me would be hay that is several years old, and has little nutritional value, or hay that has been rained on and is now unsuitable for feeding.

I actually prefer hay in my nest boxes, as it seems to "weave" together better to make a tighter nest. The straw seems to stay loose and get pushed out of the nest boxes.

 

[TwoCrows]

I used to use Bermuda Grass Hay before I switched to sand. This grass hay is very soft, thin and I enjoyed using it. It is also edible, being that it once was a grass. It is somewhat absorbing and because it is so dense, it does hold in the heat better than other hays. It smells really good too. LOL When it does get wet, it dries fairly fast since it is not a thick hay. A 3 strand bale costs about $17 at the feed store and it lasted me quite some time. I would however, clean up under the roost bar each day and when the hay got low, I would just add new to the top. I only completely stripped the coop every 4 to 6 weeks, or when ever it seemed to get too full of dust and dander. Oh, and this hay is not dusty at all. I have since switched to sand, so I don't have many pics to show, but here is an idea of what it looks like. A soft grass...



Here is another with them on grass hay. The chickens where hanging out in the greenhouse. Excuse the 2 bandaged birds...2 cases of bumblefoot at the same time.

 

[cajun1]

You would want straw, not hay. Or at least I would want straw

Straw is hollow, better for bedding...like wheat straw. They take the grain out and what's left is baled into straw. Hay is from grasses, it is cut and baled and is food for animals. Hollow straw is better as bedding because it's going to be dryer. I would think hay would draw moisture and get moldy faster than straw. Not sure, but straw may be cheaper than hay anyway.

That was my thinking ... Thank you.

 

[Amethyste]

Hay, I have heard, is better for bedding than straw because it is not hollow.

Hollow = places for mites etc to live in and grow.

I have always been told that for nesting boxes, hay is the better way to go between the two.

 

[TwoCrows]

X2

Straw mats when it gets wet. Hay stays fluffy and dries out quicker. And yes, the mites love the tubes of the straw as well. Hay is harder for the mites to hide in.

 

[Hokum Coco]

After reading these post a person would decided to use wood chips LOL.

Personally I fold a feed bag up and line the bottom of my nest boxes with that. When it gets dirty I fling it in a spring on my property and rinse it out and let it dry and start the cycle over again.

Most chicken owners have feed bags I have found.