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The key difference between straw and hay is that straw is a waste product of grain crops while hay is the end product of dried grasses or legumes. Straw tends to be yellow and hay is usually varying shades of green. Both have specific uses, so one isn’t really better than the other.
Let’s explore the differences between these two common products, when to use each, and where they come from.
Provenance of Straw Bales and Hay Bales
One important point: If you like to do everything naturally and organically, it’s important that you know the straw or hay you’re buying is chemical-free. Many grain crops are sprayed with some pretty noxious pesticides and herbicides, a large number of which are the systemic type, which are taken up by the plant and so reside in the straw or hay.
Therefore, I only use straw or hay that I know the provenance of, so it’s either certified organic or purchased from someone I trust.
What’s the Different Between Straw and Hay?
Straw is the unwanted stalks of wheat, barley, rye, and other grain crops. Hay is the dried stems and seed heads of grasses like Bermuda, orchard, and fescues, or legumes like alfalfa. So one of the main differences between straw and hay is where they come from. Another is how they’re made.
| STRAW | HAY | |
| Made From | Grain Stalks: Wheat Rye Barley Oats Rice | Grasses and Legumes: Meadow Fescue Alfalfa Bermuda Ryegrass Clover Brome Timothy Millet |
| How It’s Made | Stalks are harvested after grain and chaff is removed Chopped into desired lengths and formed into bails | The whole plant, from the stalk to the seed head is harvested, dried, and formed into bales |
| Uses | Straw bale gardening Basketry Crafts Paper making Rope making Thatching Biofuels, including biogas and briquettes Bioplastics Construction Cob (a mix of clay and straw) As a binder for clay and concrete Composite lumber and enviroboard | Animal feed Small animal bedding |
| Characteristics | Low nutritional value Dry, sharp, and brittle Generally yellow or gold | Nutritious Softer and safer for small animals Dry but soft Sometimes dusty Usually green or greenish-gold |
Where Does Straw Come From?
Straw comes from wheat, barley, rye, oat, and rice stalks. After the grain and chaff are removed, just the stalks are left. And this is gathered, baled up, and used as straw. The grain is the inside of the seed head, which is the part we eat, and the chaff is the seed covering, which isn’t palatable.
Because straw is just the dried stalks of the grain plants, it has very little nutritional value, so isn’t used as food, although some ruminants do enjoy a little chomp on a straw stalk from time to time.
What is Straw Used For?
Straw has a huge number of uses, as you saw in the table above. But the most common, and most relevant to you if you have a garden or livestock, is straw uses for the Regular Joe.
Straw Bale Gardening
This is an interesting one. Even if I know the straw is chemical-free, I’m still not a huge fan of just trying to plant directly in straw bales because of the propensity for mold growing on the bottom of the bale and how much water your plants will need because the surface of the bale dries rapidly. But many people report good success with this technique.
The method I like best is basically a hollowed out bale that’s filled with rich potting soil, as it’s easier to control moisture and growth and you’re providing your plants with plenty of nutrition. And the straw bale provides plenty of insulation, so you can grow in cooler conditions, getting an earlier start with some crops, and extending the harvesting season a good few weeks longer than you’d normally manage.
Insulation
If you don’t fancy hollowing out bales, you can still use straw as insulation. For cold frames and green houses, you can place straw bales around the perimeter, helping to keep heat inside. This is a great way of boosting the warmth inside your greenhouse or cold frame and lets you get seeds off to an earlier start.
You can also make a straw bale cold frame that just requires some straw bales and an old window, glass door, or sheet of Perspex.
Mulch
Straw mulch is a great addition to the edible landscape. I use straw mulch around my strawberries every year, along with my squashes and pumpkins. Straw mulch helps to control weeds, retains moisture in the soil, and keeps the fruits off the ground, so reduces the chance of rot, fungus, and disease.
I spread a thick layer of straw around the base of the plants every year and just dig it in at the end of each growing season. Straw also makes a great soil amendment if you’ve got heavy, clay, or wet soil, as it improves soil structure and drainage.
Animal Bedding
For larger animals like cows, sheep, and goats, straw is a viable choice as bedding, and it’s widely used. However, straw is sharp, so it’s not a good choice for smaller animals like rabbits, as it can cause nasty and painful injuries, particularly to eyes and mouths.
Compost
Straw is a nice addition to a compost pile and is a form of brown matter, so should be used sparingly. Adding straw to the compost pile balances pH and adds structure and air pockets to a compost heap.
Where Does Hay Come From?
Hay comes from grasses, legumes, and some herbaceous plants. Once the plants reach maturity and develop seed heads, they’re harvested, dried, and baled. High-quality hay contains the heads and leaves of the plants alongside the stems. Hay is typically harvested just before the seeds are fully ripe so they’ve got maximum nutritional value.
What is Hay Used For?
Hay is primarily used for animal feed for livestock like horses, cattle, sheep, and goats. It’s used as a supplemental livestock feed for when fresh food and grazing is limited, such as during winter or when the animals have to stay inside their stable or barns.
Small animals such as rabbits also feed on hay, and it can be used as bedding as a safer alternative to straw for these more delicate animals, too.
Is Straw Better Than Hay?
When it comes to straw vs. hay, no, straw is not better than hay. Hay and straw have different uses, so each is better at its designated purpose than the other. Straw is a by-product of grain production, mostly used as livestock bedding, but with lots of garden uses, too, including an addition to your compost heap. This grain crop waste has a surprising number of applications when it comes to construction and biofuels, too.
Hay and straw can both be used as animal bedding, but straw is favored as large livestock bedding, while hay is generally reserved for small animals like rabbits and Guinea pigs because straw is sharp and can cause injury. Hay bales are most commonly used to feed livestock for when fresh food isn’t readily accessible.