Night time questions

[frias]

Funny about the hay versus straw thing. I've always used hay because I was advised to by BHWT. Last week I went a very large breeding farm in the New Forest to get some Diatoms and he said "I hope you're not using straw, it harbours mites as they can crawl up inside the tubes." He said he advises all his buyers to use hay not straw. I guess we all take advice from different people and have our own preferences.

[Annie]

Does anyone use Elephant Grass?? Bought a huge bale of it!

[Squizz]

About the hay/straw debate-the breeder of my chooks said use hay because mites live inside the hollow tubes of straw. Very confused now!

[Flummery]

Does anyone use Elephant Grass?? Bought a huge bale of it!

Hellfire! You'll get elephants in there not red mites!

[Hilary B]

I would have thought straw 'tubes' were too big for mites to be comfy in. Hay is hollow too (just less obviously). If hay gets mucky, it is REALLY mucky. Straw stays clean better. Hay is food for horses, sheep and cows. Straw is bedding for so many creatures.

If in doubt, don't use either, there are loads of substitutes anyway!

[Squizz]

Hi frias, my chooks came from the New Forest where I also get my Diatoms, wonder if it's the same place, as he said hay. Is it in Beaulieu?

[frias]

Hi frias, my chooks came from the New Forest where I also get my Diatoms, wonder if it's the same place, as he said hay. Is it in Beaulieu?

Yes. He does breed a lot of chooks and maintains straw is bad. He says most people use straw because someone who doesn't know what they are talking about advised using it in a book they wrote!

[Hilary B]

Yes. He does breed a lot of chooks and maintains straw is bad. He says most people use straw because someone who doesn't know what they are talking about advised using it in a book they wrote!

Straw for nestboxes has been used for a very long time. I'm sure my aunt hadn't read any books about it, nor any other farmer/smallholder from 50 years and more ago. No doubt it was used simply because every OTHER creature on the farm had straw for 'bedding' rather than for any scientific reason, but presumably the writer of the book he so dislikes worked on the basis of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[Bephlam]

off topic...but I used that Easibed today for the first time...and LOVED it!!

[frias]

off topic...but I used that Easibed today for the first time...and LOVED it!!

Personally I like memory foam but might try Easibed for the chooks next time if I can't get Hemcore.

[Bephlam]

Personally I like memory foam but might try Easibed for the chooks next time if I can't get Hemcore.

lol...very funny Frias!!