- Jun 15, 2008
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Hay and straw are not absorbent. In fact they do the opposite creating a nonabsorbent insulating layer that traps moisture and rots things. Your coop will actually be wetter and not dry as well with hay or straw as if it had no bedding at all. It will smell more and you will have more mold. Also your chickens will eat it. Mine ate 2 bales worth of straw over last winter because I was trying to use it to insulate the floor. Not much moisture here in winter when everything is frozen. While that may not do them any harm to eat clean hay or straw so long as they have grit available if your whole coop is covered in the stuff then like I said it will rot and mold. Unless you clean frequently you run the risk of chickens eating bad bedding. Alot of molds carry strong toxins and rotten materials can cause their own problems. You will have a lot less cleaning to do, a lot less smell, and less chance of sick chickens if you use something more absorbent like shavings. Even when I used straw in winter I made sure there was a layer of pine pellets (far more absorbent than anything out there) under several inches of shavings to provide a good absorbency layer under the straw and help avoid moisture sitting against it. I would never do that during the summer or outside of the time of year when most things are frozen. I'd quickly have a smelly soaking mess under the roosts and other high traffic areas.