Which is cheaper hay or straw?
Which is cheaper hay or straw?
Since hay is more nutritious but more expensive, we buy hay solely for the horses to eat. Since straw is cheaper, dried and therefore less likely to mold or attract moisture, we buy straw for the backyard chicken coop and nesting boxes.
Does straw decompose?
As the straw decomposes, simply mix it into the pile. It's not uncommon to reincorporate an entire decomposed bale of straw into the pile within just one season, particularly in areas that receive a lot of rain.
How long does Straw last?
Straw Bale homes can last over 100 years if properly maintained. At some point, all structures will eventually be replaced.
Do animals eat straw?
Feeding Straw. Straw is a good alternative in rations for cows and sheep if properly supplemented with higher quality feedstuffs. … Differences in feeding value do exist among the straws. Oats is the most palatable and nutritious; barley straw is second and wheat straw has the lowest nutritional value of the main grains.
Why are there bales of hay in fields?
Round bales are also easier to feed out, you can just roll them along and the hay unravels. … The reason they are in empty fields is that because of their good keeping qualities, you can bale them up and then just leave them where the baler spat them out until you need them – so reduces handling and storage.
What is drinking straw made of?
Historically, straws have been made from paper but today polypropylene plastic is the material of choice. Polypropylene is a resin made by polymerizing, or stringing together, molecules of a propylene gas. When a very large number of these molecules are chemically hooked together they form this solid plastic material.
How many types of hay are there?
We carry 3 different basic types of hay: Grass, Legume and Grain. Grass hays like our Timothy have a high fiber content and are low in protein and calcium. It is one of the most common hays fed to horses.
What is straw a byproduct of?
Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat.
Do cats like straw?
Straw—Not Hay—for Outdoor Cat Shelters. An outdoor cat house filled with straw—not hay—will keep your feline friends warm and cozy during the winter. … 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.
How much does a bale of hay weigh?
For example, if the round bale weighs 1,000 pounds, then it equals 20 of your 50-pound small square bales. If the large round-bale weighs 1,200 pounds and the small square bales weigh 40 pounds, then one large round hay bale would be equal to 30 small square bales.
Is Straw dried grass?
Hay is made from dried plants like legumes and grass, whereas straw is made from leftover stalks of grain crops. Both are dried, but hay may sometimes be green while straw is golden yellow. … Hay is primarily used as livestock feed because it contains nutrients.
What can I do with old hay bales?
Growing your flowers or veggies directly in the hay bales makes good use of spoiled hay. Although many people use straw bales for this, hay bales also work. To garden in the hay bales, place them in the desired location and condition them. Saturate the bales with water and keep them moist for the first three days.
What is hay made out of?
Oat, barley, and wheat plant materials are occasionally cut green and made into hay for animal fodder; however they are more usually used in the form of straw, a harvest byproduct where the stems and dead leaves are baled after the grain has been harvested and threshed. Straw is used mainly for animal bedding.
Do cows eat hay?
Hay can also be fed on the ground. Most of the time, cows will eat from the top or sides of the hay bales, like you see in the picture below. … During the winter and while the cows are nursing their calves, we also feed them grain.
Can hay be used as mulch?
But using hay as mulch has some surprising benefits. It does indeed break down, but unless you have a very wet environment it shouldn't get moldy. Instead, it will start to compost, creating a rich layer of nutrients for your plants. This is especially good for seeds and starter plants.
Does Hay help grass?
Hay helps grass seed grow in several ways. The main function of using a mulch over grass seed is to hold in moisture, and hay successfully does that.
What does straw do for grass?
Straw is often used to cover newly planted grass seed to reduce the amount of seed relocated by wind and water. … Straw may be used to cover grass seeds. Straw also holds moisture and keeps the grass seeds and seedlings from drying out.
Do you use hay or straw to cover grass seed?
A shallow layer of straw is all that's needed to help retain moisture for the soil and fresh seeds. One bale of straw covers approximately 2,000 square feet. Sprinkling it in a light layer allows it to decompose naturally so you won't have to rake it up once the grass has sprouted.
Do goats eat straw?
Barley straw is generally considered to be the best as goats will be happy to eat it as well (although nutritional value of straw is low, it is good roughage). Next in value is wheat and oat straw. Again, avoid dusty or damp straw – it will not do you or your goats any good!
What do hay bales do in Minecraft?
Hay, you traitorous snake. That's why we prefer hay bales in Minecraft, where instead of ruining our lives, they sometimes save them. Landing on a hay bale in the game reduces any fall damage by 80%. … Hay bales are decorative, flammable blocks that can also be used to feed horses, breed llamas, and reduce fall damage.
Can hay be used for bedding?
Straw is normally used for a bedding material, while hay is used as a feed supplement. … It is not moist like hay and is unlikely to mold. Straw is also more practical to use as bedding than hay is, because of its lower cost.
What is the difference between silage and hay?
The main difference between hay and silage is that the hay is grass cut and dried to use as animal fodder whereas silage is the fermented, green forage fodder stored in a silo. The moisture content of hay is not more than 12% while that in the silage is 40-60%. … Both crops are made up of grass.
Do rabbits eat hay or straw?
Yes. Straw is perfectly fine for bedding. In fact, straw is probably a sensible choice for bedding as it is usually cheaper than hay. If you use hay as bedding, you'll be wasting quite a great deal of it because bunnies won't eat much of their bedding.
How do you store hay bales?
Store hay where it's accessible. Don't stack hay higher than you can safely move it—this is especially important when stacking large round bales. And stack new hay behind older bales so you can feed the older hay first. Hay stacked on bare ground or concrete wicks moisture up through the bottom tiers, ruining the hay.
Do horses eat hay?
Many pleasure and trail horses don't need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn't enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse's calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.
How do you grow hay?
Silage can be made by one or more of the following methods: placing cut green vegetation in a silo or pit; piling the vegetation in a large heap and compressing it down so as to purge as much oxygen as possible, then covering it with a plastic sheet; or by wrapping large round bales tightly in plastic film.
What is barley straw?
Barley straw is an interesting way to clear pond water naturally, and research supports its clarifying properties. A small amount of algae growth is normal in most bodies of water, and in low quantities it can actually be beneficial to ponds and fish!
How do you grow wheat?
Spring wheat can be planted while the soil is still cool. Broadcast seed into cultivated soil so that the seeds are about 3 inches (7 cm) apart and one-half inch (1 cm) deep. No thinning is required. Increase spacing to 8 inches (20cm) apart when growing wheat with other cover crops.
Is hay or straw better for dog bedding?
Many dog owners use wheat straw with the assumption that it is the best doghouse bedding material. … Conversely, grass hay will retain its structure much longer than straw, creating much less dust. The best grass hay suitable for dog bedding comes from warm season grasses such as Big Bluestem and Indian grass.