Grass Hay and Crop Impaction?

[ClareScifi]

I have been told and read that hay can get caught in a chicken's crop and cause an impaction.

Does this apply to all hay, including "grass hay?"

I've found a home for one of my roosters, but the people use grass hay as bedding, mixed with pine shavings, and they said their chickens eat some of the grass hay. They seemed to think it was a type of hay that couldn't cause an impaction, but my understanding is that any long strands of grass can cause an impaction.

Thanks for your help,

Clare

 

[BamaSilkies]

Any kind of hay can cause an impaction. I occasionally will fine chop some alfafa and sprinkle it on the feed so they dont gourge on it. A little will go along way. Use it like a seasoning for the feed. I have never had a problem with impaction with this method.

 

[ClareScifi]

Thanks for the info. I wonder how I can gently break this news to the prospective adopters. Now I have something new to worry about. Can anyone recommend a good article about hay and crop impaction I could print out for them, specifically grass hay? They think it's better than other hay.

Clare

 

[stcroixusvi]

(sigh) I gave a rooster away and then went back a week later and picked him up, and now have a second coop. Good luck retraining the adopters.

 

[ClareScifi]

Oh, I'm sorry. What went wrong with the adopters, if I may ask?

Clare