Help Hay or Straw????

[3KillerBs]

First, IMO, the best bedding is whatever dry organic material is readily and inexpensively available in your area. My favorite is pine straw -- free for the raking in my yard in season.

Straw should *in theory* be better bedding because it's a compost "brown" (carbon source), whereas hay and manure are both compost "greens" (nitrogen sources).

Theory aside, some people use hay quite successfully.

Chickens are tough, adaptable animals. Use what's convenient for you and if the bedding is loose rather than packed/matted, free of mold, and doesn't stink then it's working.

 

[Shadrach]

Hay is a grass can be cut 2-3 times a year as feed for livestock.
Straw is the stalks left over from grain after grain heads are harvested and used as bedding.

Roughly correct although not all hay has grain heads. Hay, where I've lived, covers a wide variety of grasses and crop plants.

I've always heard that mites are more prevalent in the hollows of straw,
especially if it is stored where wild birds can get onto it.

Although these mites are commonly called straw itch mites, good quality straw doesn't have the same population density as hay. One reason for this is hay (first, or top cut) has a much higher moisture content than straw and the mites need a certain level of moisture to survive.
Straw (2nd cut) should be left to dry in the ground before it's cut. Generally speaking dry straw harbours less mites.
Odd though it may be, once straw is dry the total mite population decreases; this includes the mites that the straw itch mite can live on.

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=11153

https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/feeding-nutrition/straw-itch-mites

 

[aart]

Roughly correct although not all hay has grain heads. Hay, where I've lived, covers a wide variety of grasses and crop plants.

Incorrect verbiage is not uncommon.

 

[Rangergord]

There is very little second cut and no third cut hay in my region, so hay contains a lot of grass and perennial weed seeds. If I was spreading it on a grazing area, this would work well. In my garden and around my fruit trees I do not want more grass seed in these areas. Straw has mostly annual grains and weed seeds which are much easier to manage.

 

[Owen_Blandford]

i use hemp and it keeps the coop clean

 

[Ozarkoak]

I like straw it is much more resistant to rot. Wet hay can/will rot in a day or two. straw will pretty much just dry out.