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Barnyard Buddies:  Chickens and Hay  |
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Lessie Louise
True Blue Farmgirl
1406 Posts
Carol
PECULIAR
MO
USA
1406 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 08:55:48 AM
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I came home with two bales of hay instead of straw for the chickens to scratch around in. Is hay OK for them? It can't be any worse than what they scratch around in in the yard but I thought I read somewhere that hay wasn't a good choice. Thank you!
Forget buns of steel, I'd rather have buns of cinnamon!
Farmgirl #680! |
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child in harmony
True Blue Farmgirl
55 Posts
Marcia
Middleboro
MA
USA
55 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 09:45:21 AM
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I think hay is fine. I've used it before. It's WET hay you always have to be careful with cuz mold can grow.
~marcia
www.childinharmony.com
"Enriching,nurturing and inspiring Life with nature,animals
and the arts .. for the child and the child within" |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 09:46:20 AM
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Carol, that's all I have. I use it in the goat barn and that's where the chickens are. I don't actually use hay for bedding, but anyone who has goats knows how wasteful they are and how much ends up on the ground. So it becomes bedding. I need to go out there and remove about half of it. I keep hitting my head on the roof, that's how much is in there now. But it's good insulation for them. It's a really short barn. And the hens also lay eggs all over out there. They find a nice clean pile and make a nest and there they go. So yes, I think hay is fine. I have never lost any due to it. Well, maybe they have gotten buried under it!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Lessie Louise
True Blue Farmgirl
1406 Posts
Carol
PECULIAR
MO
USA
1406 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 09:51:32 AM
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Thank you guys, I bought it to add to the coop and yard since winter seems to drag on. I had the truck yesterday, which I hardly ever do, and went to the feed store. Well it was closed for lunch, so I just backed up the truck and grabbed the two bales. Went back later that afternoon and paid, but by then I had put the hay away. I love small town life!! The chickens seen to be happy with it, Carol
Forget buns of steel, I'd rather have buns of cinnamon!
Farmgirl #680! |
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CherryPie
True Blue Farmgirl
935 Posts
Kimberly Ann
Puyallup
WA
USA
935 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 11:05:52 AM
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I have straw in their run right now but I can attest that it gets pretty mucky when it rains. I'm swapping out for gravel as soon as I can afford to get some. I wonder if potential mold is a problem with the straw? I hadn't thought of that.
Kimberly Ann
Farmgirl Sister #225
Crochet Geek, Newbie Fiddler, Would-be Farmer, Backyard Chicken Rancher, Eager Podcaster
http://beesinourbonnetsintheburbs.blogspot.com/
Podcasts at http://thefannyfarm.blogspot.com/ |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 2:14:54 PM
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Kimberly Ann, I put old hay down over the mud paths. It works pretty good and it's good for the ground. I have tried the crush-n-run gravel on those same muddy paths and they have all practically washed away. Wierd but true.But the hay stays unless the chickens get to it before it gets sunk n real good. I want concrete paths now. That's the only thing that will work and stay.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 3:30:13 PM
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Carol- I keep a bale or two of alfalfa around during the winter to feed the girls, helps keep their eggs nice and yellow! Since they only pick the leaves off the rest stays on the ground and keeps the mud down.
Lillian |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
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Lessie Louise
True Blue Farmgirl
1406 Posts
Carol
PECULIAR
MO
USA
1406 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 5:05:04 PM
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Well they seem pretty happy with it, and tonight the coop smelled much better than it had been. I might just stick with hay.
Forget buns of steel, I'd rather have buns of cinnamon!
Farmgirl #680! |
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chick-chick
True Blue Farmgirl
322 Posts
Liz
New Britain
CT
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 5:18:35 PM
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OK ladies,this may sound really dumb but what is the difference between hay and straw?
I thought they were the same thing.
I just recently discovered that I'm a farm girl at heart and I really have ALOT to learn.
I don't know if i've been putting hay or straw in the coop for my chickens! But they seem pretty happy anyway.
Liz |
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Lessie Louise
True Blue Farmgirl
1406 Posts
Carol
PECULIAR
MO
USA
1406 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 5:24:48 PM
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not dumb at all. I have always used straw because it was cheaper and hay has a lot of seeds in it, I did not want that in the garden. And you use straw in the stalls or, in my case nesting boxes. Hay is what you feed the horses and goats. I am sure there is some one out there with a much better explaination,
Forget buns of steel, I'd rather have buns of cinnamon!
Farmgirl #680! |
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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2010 : 05:57:52 AM
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Chick-chick
Hay is either mowed and dried grasses, or alfalfa (which has lots of tiny leaves), or a mix, and it's what you would feed to horses, goats, cows, sheep, etc. Good hay is still green in color when dried.
Straw is dried wheat or oat stalks. Hollow, yellow in color when dried, good for bedding and lots of other uses, but not for feed.
Lessie Louise-
You should be just fine with the hay. My girls run over to eat with my horses when I feed, or heck just jump in the back of the truck or climb the haystack. This is the hen's first winter and they weren't wanting to make the treck up the driveway to the hay with all the snow and ice, so every once in a while I'd take some hay down to them. They were overjoyed to see something green and tasty in the middle of all the snow and yellow straw. 
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Barnyard Buddies: Chickens and Hay |
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Chickens and Hay
