Straw or Hay?

[KikiDeAnime]

Now that summer weather is over, we're going to be getting lots of rain.. which means muddy chicken yard
We already had 2 days of rain anyway so we need to put down either straw or hay.

Between straw or hay, which is better?

I don't need any other suggestions, my dad is set on one of these two choices and there's no changing his mind.
We're going to the feed store later today after he gets home.

 

[AviansLove]

I use straw but I have never used hay so I can't say which is better, straw does get wet and for me normally gone in a month.

 

[so lucky]

I think I read here (or somewhere) that straw has hollow stems and holds more water longer. Hay is not hollow. They both get stinky and moldy if wet with no air circulation.

 

[Duck_life]

I use straw, i'm agreeing with what everyone above said.

 

[perchie.girl]

Use rice hulls... naturally water repellent Light to work with and a by product of the rice industry... Yes we do get gully washers of rain in the desert... and by the time the rain is over the top is drying.... Course the ground is very pourous here.

The chickens love em and spread them out on their own looking for little bits of rice left....

Not available every where... but Mallard Hill is the manufacturer Xpensive a bit... But I found one bag of hulls when applied is eqal to one and a half bags of shavings. At least for my horse....

deb

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Thanks everyone!
Looks like we're getting straw!

 

[HuffleClaw]

I use hay... but, sand is really good too (of course - if it is an option for you), which it isn’t...

 

[slordaz]

for run I would go with straw, though I go keep a small bale of hay that they seem to like to munch on when theres not fresh greens in the yard

 

[jreardon1918]

I know you are looking for just hay or straw... But do you have some/all of the run covered? If not, that might be a long term solution to wet and muddy. We are getting a soaking rain right now. The covered run is pretty dry.

 

[chickens really]

In winter I use pine shavings with a bed of straw over top. Straw is hollow so holds in body heat. Hay is feed and has zero warmth.