will Hay hurt chicks?

[the4heathernsmom]

never had a problem here !!!

 

[randomchick]

We use hay all the time. As long as they are over a couple weeks old, we put it down. I have never had a problem.

 

[snowflake]

thank you all for your response. hay is $3 straw is $2.50 I used straw inside with pine shavings . I just put the hay outside their coop threw a little under the coop and they are having a ball. definitely loving it! the seed and grasses are a welcome pass time . now I need to get DH to help me put up a covered area outside to keep the snow back a little . we are supposed to get a cold blast with more snow in Mi. tonight. I think I will put some hay inside too, it may be to cold for them to come out by Sat.
THANKS AGAIN !!!

 

[ruffles]

I add hay along with the wood shavings. yes, chicks love to pick at the hay , they also move it around and create their own nesting boxes.

Sandi
Massachusetts

 

[Wildsky]

I have ducks in my coop with the chickens, and I put in lots of hay so they have something to snuggle in!

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
That depends upon what's available. We needed something to bed our 2500 organic hens so we baled a few acres of a first year alfalfa planting that was overgrown with weeds. Nobody wanted it for hay, it was here, and it was organic. It has worked fine. If it stays somewhat dry they bust it up into little pieces. (2500 hens can be pretty destructive, they make short work of it). If it gets too moist it tends to mat up. If I get areas where the litter starts to cake over I just fork it into a wheelbarrow and dump it in the manure pile outside.

 

[cw]

if you have a whole barn full of hay, (and its enough to get you through) i wouldnt spend the extra money on a differnt bedding, hay isnt as absorbant as straw but mine like to scartch around in it and they have always been fine

 

[chookchick]

I was very nervous, as I have heard that hay causes impacted crops (many times heard that here on BYC). But I also read so many people had used hay without a problem, and that the chickens really like it. So I got a bale of alfalfa, and I have been putting a small flake in the run everyday. They really like digging through it for the leaves (they leave the stems), it smells great and keeps them busy. I make sure they always have plenty of grit to digest it. It's hard to keep them in greens this time of year!

 

[sian]

Our chickens live in our horse barn. We have horse stalls with pine shavings and hay racks on the walls. The hay falls out of the racks b/c the horses are messy eaters. The chickens love pecking around in the shavings looking for bits of leftover horse food and (heaven forbid!) horse poop! They lay their eggs in the hay racks and will often be found snoozing in a cozy pile of hay that was dropped under the hay racks. They stay out of the horse stalls when the horses are inside.

They seem to like the hay - but then we don't have them in a coop, they have free run of the barn and free range outside. The hay is part Alfalfa and part Timothy. The barn is closed up at night and they either roost in the hayloft or on a dog crate in the wash stall.

So to answer the orginal question, in my experience, they like hay and it seems good for them.

 

[MarriedToTheFarm]

I toss one flake of hay every few days in to my chicken's outdoor run. They spread it out and it keeps their feet off the icy ground. Plus, it adds interest to their day and gives them something to scratch through. They seem to really enjoy it. I use straw in the coop itself for bedding.