Is Hay Ok For Chicken Bedding?

Hay must not be used for bedding because it soon gets damp, and that can cause fungal spores to grow that can cause aspergillosis.

Do you use hay or straw for chickens?

NEVER use hay as coop bedding. Hay is livestock feed, straw is livestock bedding. Hay is too “green” and tends to harbor mold and bacteria which is extremely detrimental to poultry health.

Is straw or hay better for chicken bedding?

Bottom line, straw is a far better choice for coop bedding than hay for us both because of its price and far lower moisture content. So that’s why we buy both straw and hay. Hay for the horses to eat and straw for the chicken coop and nesting boxes.

What kind of hay is safe for chickens?

Many chickens don’t enjoy eating straw or hay, however. In such cases, alfalfa hay is a good alternative. Alfalfa is full of dried green leaves and many chickens love to eat it right off the bale. Even chickens that enjoy hay and straw tend to lose interest in those periodically.

What is best bedding for chickens?

Medium- to coarse-grained sand is the best chicken coop bedding as it’s non-toxic, dries quickly, stays clean, is low in pathogens, and has low levels of dust. Sand is a much safer choice than all other bedding materials.

Can chickens have hay?

One treat your chickens will enjoy is a humble and inexpensive bale of straw or hay. Put a bale in the chicken run and get ready for hen enthusiasm as they gleefully tear it apart. Each bale holds thousands of tiny tasty tidbits hidden amid grass stems.

Can I use hay instead of straw for bedding?

They look similar, but while straw makes excellent bedding for outdoor cat shelters, hay becomes a soggy mess. Hay is typically used to feed animals, like horses. It soaks up moisture, making it cold and uncomfortable for cats—and has the potential to get moldy.

Will moldy hay hurt chickens?

The good news is that most mold in your hay won’t harm your livestock. Not all molds produce mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are chemicals produced by some species of molds that are toxic to animals. In most cases, if you can’t readily see or smell the mold in your hay it won’t harm your animals.

What is the best material to put in a chicken nesting box?

Good choices for nesting box material include straw, pine shavings, pine needles, dried leaves or shredded paper.

Where do you put hay in a chicken coop?

If you must insulate the coop using straw bales, place them against outside walls of the coop. A better option is the use of sand as litter. Winter chicken coop temperatures are kept more stable in cold weather and hot weather using sand as litter due to its high thermal mass.

What is the best bedding for chickens in the winter?

A nice thick layer of straw on the floor (think 12″ or more) will provide insulation against the chill from the ground. Straw is one of the best insulators as far as bedding for chickens goes, since warm air is trapped in the hollow shafts.

What should I put on the floor of my chicken coop?

What Do You Use on the Floor of the Coop? For the deep litter method, use pine shavings or hemp bedding as your bottom layer since they are small pieces and compost fairly quickly. Pine shavings are inexpensive and available online or at your local feed store in bales.

Do chickens need hay in the winter?

Consider going to a heavier bedding, like hay, for the winter months, as it retains heat better keeping your chickens warm. In the winter, chickens need protection from cold weather, which their feathers provide by keeping an insulating layer of warm air between their feathers and their body, trapped in their down.

Which is better hay or straw?

Straw Versus Hay
Hay is harvested while it is still a live, healthy plant. Straw is the dead stalks of plants after the valuable parts of the plants have been harvested. Hay provides a good nutritional value for animals who are going to be eating it, while straw provides little nutrition.

What’s the difference between straw and hay?

Hay is a crop that is grown and harvested as a feed crop for cattle, horses and other farm animals. Straw on the other hand is a byproduct of a grain crop; in our area it’s usually usually wheat straw that we see.

What bedding is bad for chickens?

Why are pine shavings unsafe for your chickens? Pine bedding is unsafe for chickens due to the damaging effects of abietic acid on the respiratory system, the damaging effects of terpene hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds on liver function, and the carcinogenic nature of pine dust.

Is hay or pine shavings better for chickens?

Wood shavings are a really good option for chicken coop bedding. You absolutely need pine wood shavings and not cedar shavings (cedar oils and scents can be toxic to chickens). Go for large flake wood shavings, over fine shavings (too dusty), and don’t use sawdust (way too dusty and damp).

How often should you change chicken bedding?

every 2-3 weeks
We recommend changing your chicken’s coop bedding every 2-3 weeks and nesting box as needed for all feathered friends. However, keep in mind that chicken blogs and friends will give their personal favorite changing times.

Can old hay be used as bedding?

Using hay as bedding is an option, not an ideal option, just an option. If your normal bedding material is not available or you just mess up and forget to keep enough of the normal stuff on hand, old hay can substitute.

What’s the difference between bedding hay and feeding hay?

It’s important to know the difference between ‘feeding hay’ and ‘bedding hay’ – they are both dried grass, but nutritionally, they are very different. ‘Feeding hay’ is fresher, greener, smells better, tastes better, and has more nutrients in it.

Does hay turn into straw?

When the plants are left intact and bundled up, it’s hay. But when the seed heads are removed, the plant stalk that’s left behind is straw, a hollow tube that has many uses, including animal bedding on farms and mulch in gardens.