Hay for bottom of chicken enclosure...any hay or specific kind?

[Ahab]

Quote:
Hay is dried grass, typically cut from a stand including a legume such as clover or alfalfa (it may be alfalfa only, with no added grass). Hay is, for want of a better description, animal feed, typically for cows or horses.

Straw is the waste product from growing grains like barley, oats, wheat, and rye. Straw is what is left after threshing the grain heads from the stalks. It isn't feed; it's a bedding material--and a perfect "brown" addition to a compost pile (it doesn't mat down like hay). Either can be a good bedding material for a poultry house; it just depends on your situation, and the local availability.

 

[rrgrassi]

Make sure to avoid the Johnson Grass hay, as the seeds are usually included, and once that stuff get in your yard, it is difficult to get rid of.

 

[Chicklette 1]

I agree with mudstopper. If the coop gets wet, it doesn't matter what bedding you use, it will become mucky and you will have to change it. Maybe you could put your efforts toward addressing the problem of the water getting in the coop and then your bedding wouldn't matter. Remember to use only pine if you ever consider shavings. I use pine and the deep bedding method and add a little fresh shavings when needed. It smells nice and piney. I also scoop out what I can of the dropping as often as I can.........especially under the roosting bars.

 

[stowellka]

if i'm understanding this right, your talking about their run area and not the coop,how many peeps do you have? our they in the area all day ? if possible i would go for sand , i keep reading how people are putting hay/straw/shavings in the run area ,that is just too labor intensive IMHO ,sand will dry out the poop making it easy to clean/easy to spot the poop ,easy to rake up

 

[justbugged]

I love the sand in my run it is much easier to keep things nice for the girls.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
Boy I'd like to know where you live that hay costs less than straw!! Everyplace I've ever been because the hay is needed for food and is better, it costs more.