Hay for bedding and warmth

[starrymutt]

Hi everyone, just a quick question (and to hopefully ease my nerves). I have 5 geese in a small coop with pallet flooring. I covered the sides with tarp and put some old saddle blankets up to keep drafts out. I have pine shavings for bedding and on top of that about 3 bales worth of grass hay that I clean and fluff daily.

It's been getting in the teens to 0F at night, I know straw is better for warmth but is the hay doing anything for them? I won't be able to get straw until the weekend. I'm mostly worried about frostbite (one of the ganders' eye, the orange ring around it, is a bit white colored after a cold snap).

It's about 17F out now in the day and they're splashing around, despite the ice forming on their feathers, so I assume they'll be fine but still, they're my babies lol

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use hay for bedding and forage. Geese will pick through hay, where straw is mostly inedible. Geese are very winter hardy. Mine only stay inside their shed when it's really windy. Otherwise they come out most of the day, and even at night.

 

[Goosebaby]

Hay is better than straw because straw harbors mites. Really the only thing you need to worry about is the hay getting damp and molding, just remove it before it gets soggy and you’ll have no worries. It sounds like you’re on it already though and have a great setup!

 

[AGeese]

I use straw, I would think mites or other pests could be in hay too. Hay I think also gets nasty pretty quickly.

 

[Jenbirdee]

How small is a small coop? I can’t imagine it’s very small if it can fit several bales of hay in there all at once. My 2 Geese just have pine flakes in their little 4x6 house. I might toss in a little straw on top this week just because it’s getting down to almost zero at night. But still, I am not convinced they really need it.