Different kinds of hay or straw?

[allpeepedout]

I've also started giving modest wedges of leafy alfalfa hay to my chickens. I'm amazed at how much they consume and the entertainment they get from it. Would like to learn more about the crop-bound issue. I have also bedded the chickens using rye straw with seedheads, and they ignored it entirely.

I think for a small flock you can get a lot of mileage out of a bale of alfalfa hay. But I also feed alfalfa pellets (soaked) and agree that there's more value in the pellets, and zero waste. Not nearly as much fun for the chickens, though!

Good hay will be clean and mold-free. In a drought, otherwise good hay can have significant dust, but its actual dirt, not mold.

 

[kuntrychick]

I called one of my local feed & seeds today & they don't have alfalfa hay, but he said they had compressed. What is that? I think it was like $12.

I asked him what kinds of straw they have & he said Bermuda something...or maybe he said something Bermuda...not sure.

I just know at TSC the alfalfa bales are outrageous & they seem pretty small, at least compared to a typical bale of hay or straw that I've seen.

 

[wyododge]

Quote:
Hmmmm, might be a location thing but Bermuda is grass in these parts, not straw. Compressed is probably referring to pellets. Any time you buy bales from a retailer you are going to pay way more. You live near the country? or maybe have a Co-op near buy? they will usually know of local farmers or have a post board of local folks welling hay and straw.

 

[txchickie]

Compressed is not pellets, it's a compressed bale. Those tiny bales are HEAVY. They will explode when you cut the string.