Chicken Hay

The best premium Chicken Hay

Rich, green hay is ideal for chickens to nibble and nest, packed with fragrant fibres, natural minerals, and the important digestive nutrition poultry find when they are foraging.

Our broad range of exceptional quality hay flavours is perfect for chicken coops, with zero dust, spores, or mould, providing a blend of high protein, grass textures and a metabolism-friendly food that can supplement chicken feed over the winter when live grass is scarce.

Chicken Hay FAQs

  • What makes Little Hay Co hay different?

    • Regular hay is made outside in the field which risks getting rained on to greatly reduce quality, staying near soil after harvest for too long and being infected by spores and getting bleached in the sun.

      At The Little Hay Co we cut the grass conventionally and leave it in the sun for 24 hours - but then we pick it up loose and dry it with dehumidified air in our specially built hay drying barn prior to packaging it up for you.

      The difference in quality from most other hays is clear to see - and all grown, made and packaged on our farm in the Cotswolds, UK.

  • What are the different cuts of hay you sell?

    • We sell a variety of cuts, including first, second and third cut and these encompass differing textures, grasses and hardness.

  • Why do you use different grasses?

    • In nature your pet species would naturally graze throughout the four seasons, during which grasses taste different and have different textures.  This variety is what we replicate for you, but try to offer your pet the Spring to Autumn choice as Winter grasses are not always very appetising.

  • Why do you grow different grasses?

    • We grow different grasses to suit your chicken’s needs but also due to different species ripening at different times, it also extends our harvest window as we endeavour to make enough to keep you stocked up all year round.

  • How do you control and ensure the quality at Little Hay Co throughout the year?

    • We tend our pastures very carefully throughout the year to ensure that they are in tip top condition when it comes to harvest.  By use of the hay drying barn we then preserve this quality, even in the most British of summers! 

      We make enough stock to store over the winter to provide you wherever possible a steady supply.  In Spring we start our harvest all over again to bring you a fresh supply.

  • Which type of hay should I buy?

    • Timothy Hay is quite a hard hay with deliciously large seed heads.  It is good for nutrition and dental care.

      Silky Soft Hay is not quite so hard as Timothy but slightly more nutritious.

      Cotswold Sweet Hay is very, very palatable but offers less wear on the teeth - great to build condition, great to burrow in and great to hide and sleep in.  This is often the most sought after hay.

  • How long will it take for my order to arrive?

    • Orders placed before 1pm weekdays will be sent for next day delivery, excluding bank holidays and weekends.

  • Which carrier will deliver my order?

    • DPD are our chosen carrier

  • My order has arrived damaged, who should I contact?

  • What is your refund & exchange policy?

    • We welcome your feedback and are happy to provide a no quibble replacement if there is dissatisfaction. If we cannot correct an issue, of course we will refund you.  This works for only one incident a year - more than that and we will arrange with you a collection of the product to provide both parties with a better understanding.

      If your question isn’t answered above, please email our team and we will be happy to help: info@littlehayco.com

Nutritional Breakdown of Hay and Grass*

Cotswold Sweet/Rye Timothy Silky Meadow
Moisture 9.0% 9.0% 12.5% 10.5%
Crude protein 6.7% 4.7% 10.6% 6.1%
Oil 2.0% 2.0% 2.7% 2.5%
Ash 6.2% 4.9% 8.4% 6.1%
Sugars 6.7% 8.2% 9.1% 8.1%
Calcium 35% 21% 46% 30%
Crude Fibre 23.9% 29.8% 22% 30.1%
DE 8MJ/KG 7.5MJ/KG 9.5MJ/KG 9.0MJ/KG

Our Unique Production Techniques for Outstanding Feeding Hay

The Little Hay Co. are specialists in small animal hay, producing a number of fantastic hays and tasting samples for chickens to peck and pluck at, encouraging healthy instincts and as a great way to enhance the quality of their nutritional intake.

Conventionally farmed hays are often dry and dusty, with pets eating less than the recommended daily volume of fibrous materials vital for a healthy digestive system and strong beaks.

We use a barn-drying technique inspired by the latest European farming methodology, using weather-controlled conditions to guarantee every bale is made to our exacting quality standards, with the optimal 12% moisture content, but without the potential for mould or spores.

Chickens thrive with a varied, mentally stimulating diet and use hay both as a foodstuff and nesting material.