Buy Straw online?

[yogamebird]

Our closest ag store is about 50 minutes away. Can anybody recommend a good source for mail order straw for the girls' coop?

 

[Welshies]

I would not mail order it.
Look for local farmers.

 

[Folly's place]

It's not that far, at least in my life. Take your biggest vehicle and buy lots at once!
How do you buy chicken feed then?
Can you get baled shavings easier? Hay and straw are best purchased directly from the farm; how about looking in local ads? Or the hay exchange? Or a nearer stable or farm?
Mary

 

[Welshies]

It's not that far, at least in my life. Take your biggest vehicle and buy lots at once!
How do you buy chicken feed then?
Can you get baled shavings easier? Hay and straw are best purchased directly from the farm; how about looking in local ads? Or the hay exchange? Or a nearer stable or farm?
Mary

Agreed. Store-bought straw (especially rabbit bedding) is way overpriced.

 

[MrsMistyReal]

I agree with other posts. Look for local area farmers. This way you see the product, smell, mold is a huge factor, so be very careful. If you have to drive the extra miles. Your feathered family members are worth it

 

[yogamebird]

Thanks everybody. Sadly there are no local farms in this NYC suburb. Since the Agway is quite a distance, we do get large quantities, but have found mold problems due to our storage challenges. We get our food there too! Guess we trek up there for straw.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

IME straw is prone to mold. How much are you needing at a time? Perhaps there is an alternative that would be better for your needs.

 

[Welshies]

IME straw is prone to mold. How much are you needing at a time? Perhaps there is an alternative that would be better for your needs.

I would suggest that the OP looks for hay. Easier to find, works just as well.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I prefer hay, personally. But if a bale of either is too much and that's why it's molding then storage adjustments or other bedding options need to be figured out.

 

[Kusanar]

If you aren't opposed to switching to shavings, I know Walmart usually will stock a bale or 2 for dog lots, sometimes they just have Cedar (not a great idea due to the oils that can cause breathing problems) but usually they have pine.