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Songster
Before you put straw in their run I would be sure you have an EASY way to get the nasty, wet, poo-compacted straw out when warmer temps arrive. Straw can be a PITA to clean up, especially in wet condition. It sinks into the wet soil and then compacts and eventually dries into an impossibly hard substance. I would just leave the run as sand and not worry about it. It will drain better when it gets wet if it doesn't have straw on it...
Atwoods, Orsheln and TSC should all have compressed bagged shavings. They really do fluff up and expand well. I prefer to use them over straw, as many times, once you open a straw bale, it becomes so loose that you cannot successfully re-tie it to store the excess. I've dealt with a LOT of straw over the years, as my husband's family farms about 1000 acres up by Furley, which is just NNE of Wichita. They used to bale the straw off the wheat fields, until it got to be more hassle than it was worth. Of course, when they quit baling, straw only sold for $0.50-$0.75 a bale. Now, it sells for MORE than hay, which is ridiculous....
Atwoods, Orsheln and TSC should all have compressed bagged shavings. They really do fluff up and expand well. I prefer to use them over straw, as many times, once you open a straw bale, it becomes so loose that you cannot successfully re-tie it to store the excess. I've dealt with a LOT of straw over the years, as my husband's family farms about 1000 acres up by Furley, which is just NNE of Wichita. They used to bale the straw off the wheat fields, until it got to be more hassle than it was worth. Of course, when they quit baling, straw only sold for $0.50-$0.75 a bale. Now, it sells for MORE than hay, which is ridiculous....
