Hay bales

[Jaia]

We recently just moved our 9 week old chickens in the coop outside the house. We have old dried hay bales so we decided to use it as their bedding. I recently found out today that hay bales are actually bad for chickens because of mold and bacteria. So my question is, is it really that bad even though the hay bales are dry? If so, can you guys recommend a cheap alternative. we have a decent size coup so if we buy something from the store it has to be a lot.

 

[nuthatched]

Hay bales are fine unless they're moldy. Green or white dust

 

[KyCoop]

It depends on your setup. What size coop are we talking about? Walk in , raised, hoop, converted horse stall?
Do you want to deep litter or scoop?

Some materials work better then others in different coops. Some of it is personal preference.
I have a 6x12 raised coop and I use pine pellets made into sawdust. It works for me because I'm a scooper. 2 bags fill mine for 6 months.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I use hay and straw in my coop. Like you said dry, not moldy. Just store it appropriately. I put chopped straw and timothy in my nest boxes and a little in my MHP brooder box. I also use alfalfa around the edges of the nest boxes. Hens like to munch on alfalfa and pull it around them to hide. Chopped straw on coop floor too. I also use wood chips but there is nothing wrong with hay....