Straw or Hay for chick bedding

[kimmom]

Would either of these work for chick bedding, mama hen will be with them too..

 

[Mahtowagal]

I tried something with my dozen chicks that worked out fabulously and I have never heard mentioned by anyone. We live in the country so have access to alot of "turf". I put them on a base floor of wood pellet bedding (which I use with my horses and love) and then on top of that, I would dig up about 3- 4 shovels of lawn off the edge of our yard every day. They had fresh grass, worms and learned to hunt and peck at an early age. I started this around two weeks old. Currently they are 9 weeks old and they look fantastic and are now out in our extra large horse trailer while my husband is finishing their new 8 X 12' house and their large turnout area. I still to this day bring them fresh turf every day and they absolutely love it. I also use hay for bedding on top of the pellets. Soft hay is so easy to clean out. I just use a rake or even my foot and pull all the hay out every day and put new in. No problems at all.... happy clean chicks and no smell. Oh, then when my husband cleaned out all the turf dirt from the trailer, he put it in the wheel barrow and spread it over all the dozens of holes that I dug up.

 

[Mahtowagal]

I used actual "turf" from the edge of our yard. We had the newborns here mid summer so it worked out great. I would go out every morning and just take a shovel and dig two shallow clumps...about 1' X 1' or so...some a little larger and put those in their tub. I highly recommend this because not only do they get exposure to the important microbes and things that can help their digestion later on, but they learn to hunt and peck. They were in heaven every morning when they got their new dirt and fresh grass.. I had never read about anyone doing this and was surprised actually. I eventually moved them in to my large horse trailer which was their home before they moved to the coop. I did the same thing in the horse trailer. Now, as adults that have access to a large predator proofed run, with grass.....I bed with fresh hay in their coop. I highly recommend hay as they do hunt and peck in it and find pieces to eat. It's soft, cushy, and sooooo easy to clean. I just go out to my coop twice a day with a glove on and a bucket...and squat down and pick up the little clumps of hay that have poop on it. I have 11 birds and it takes me less than 2 minutes to do this. Their coop is spotless then when they go to bed...and for much of the day.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I wouldn't use either. I would use pine shavings. I heard a lot of horror stories about the straw/hay getting stuck in the crops

I have used straw once and it smelled so bad so I switched it out after reading all the sad stories about using straw/hay. JMO tho.

 

[kimmom]

What age would they be old enough to switch to hay or straw then?

 

[matte]

If you're eventually going to put it on the garden, I would use straw. Hay will still have a lot of weed seeds in it after its time with the chickens and composting.

 

[tnchickenut]

I have and do use both... and I have used shavings. When I used shavings (pine) was the only time I had a death from a chick eatting the little bits. So I use hay or straw... I prefer hay... it is longer, softer, and harder for them to swallow. The straw seems to break up into finer bits.

I did used to sift the pine after those deaths... but that can get old fast when I am hatching almost back to back throughout most the year.

That is my current brood in my avatar... and that is hay. 3 days old... no issues.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
That is a plus to straw.

 

[CherokeeCowgirl]

Well I have horses so I have just always used hay for all my chicks bedding. I have never had any problems with using hay. My hen and her new baby chicks are outside snuggled in a hay bed now. It is good stuff.

 

[felidaet]

I personally would not use either. I know that both can get moldy pretty easily if they get wet. I am going to try wood pellets in the brooder this year. I saw them in the brooders at a feed store yesterday and it looks like they will work great. I bought several bags since they were on sale for a very good price. I do have a bag of wood shavings sitting ready in the garage if I find a reason to switch quickly.