bedding on the coop floor is straw better than hay

[cw]

Quote:
thats excactly how we do it, it just seems like the hay would seem a lot warmer

 

[Chicksdigit]

Hay seems to disappear. I put a Balew in about a month ago and tomorrow I am going to put in another bale I am pretty sure they are eating it this is 20 chickens.

 

[gsim]

Regards hay, there was a post with a link on here once about things a chicken could eat and things they should not eat. Alfalfa hay was listed as a no-no for chickens to eat.

Regards litter, next year when grass cutting season begins, try grass clippings for litter inside of the coop and nests. I have used it from day one and would not switch to hay or straw. If I could get free wood chips, I would use them too or maybe even prefer them. Have never tried them because I would have to buy them. My feed bill is enough overhead for me without adding other items to my overhead.

I use poop planks that are scraped clean daily, so my grass-clippings litter will last all winter with no adding needed and NO dailly turnover/raking. Best parts are that grass clippings are free and smell good. Can be topped about 8 months out of the year with some fresh clippings and smells great. Great snack for chooks too as I routinely toss a bushel over the fence into their run and they pounce on it and they eat it.

 

[patandchickens]

Be careful about mulch hay for bedding. SOmetimes it is designated as mulch hay just b/c it is old or got too rained-on before baling, but was baled dry and stored dry and is nonmoldy. That is fine. HOWEVER MOST MULCH HAY IS MOLDY, that is why it is not being sold for animal feed. It is okay in the run, but I would absolutely not put it in a coop. CHickens and mold spores do not mix well.

Pat

 

[blueseal]

Quote:
thanks i wondered about that . iv used hay in the past . i put feed hay down . iv read a little about straw some say its fine others dont like to use it .

 

[Tonopah Pati]

I use pine/mixed wood shavings for everything. I'm hooked. I use it in my pens also.

 

[little white]

I use pine shavings, too, but also use leaves from my autumn raking. Each week I rake out the old leaves and bring in a wheelbarrow full of fresh ones. Great for scratchin' and peckin'.

 

[chickenlily13]

I am going to try hay in the run to see how it works. My 8 chickens would never let it get matted , they will tear it apart and fluff it up! Will cover the outside of the run where I put it and it will help get them outside instead of hiding in their coop. Will let you know how it works. I use straw under their coop and in their nest boxes.

 

[dandylion1]

Someone said they couldnt eat hay but what about straw? Ive tried both but noticed no difference. Do pine chips really work that good because they seam to just get in their food and water. My chickens also eat them if I put them in their coop which is a problem. Is there a way to stop this? I also heard that untreated wood chips were good. Im not sure if its true but the person who told me said they were great in the winter and absorbed the moisture and smell really well to prevent mold. I dont know if anyone else has heard that because I dont know if its true. The grass clippings were a good idea so I think I'll try that this spring!

 

[ironwingOne]

Well, we just barely touched on what I was looking for in that thread.... I have shavings in my coop but the girls have scratched out some straw from the nest boxes.... it seems to mix well and stay fluffy that way, and since my coop is waterproof, it has stayed pretty clean for over a month now - I just pick out an occasional poop (maybe 3 a week) since I put in a roost with a removable tray beneath it to catch the poop. What I was looking for was some advice on putting straw out in the run..... they need something to scratch through, but it seems like it disappears pretty fast, so I know they must be shredding it and eating it when it gets small enough. Is this going to hurt them? I have grit out for them all the time, and they get greens daily in addition to their layer pellets.