hay vs straw in the coop/run

[Romoshka]

Seems I read somewhere that hay was a bad thing as the chickens can gorge on it and get impacted. Can find that now so im asking here. Reason is that 3 or 4 times a year I till the run and bust a bale of straw over the freshly tilled earth. Chickens have a grand time for 4 or 5 days and it helps keep things from getting so compacted -well I can get "too old to feed horses" coastal hay for half the price of straw. So...straw or cheap hay?
Thanks
Steve

 

[Lozuufy]

I use hay for bedding sometimes and it seems to be good, the only problem is that it gets very hard to clean out, but if you are tilling it then it should be fine.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use grass hay, I always provide it during the winter as forage.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We use hay in the nesting boxes and straw (along with leaves, grass clippings & pine needles) in the run. We haven't had any problems.

 

[aart]

They might be more likely to gorge on hay than on straw....just watch em.