Hay is a crop that
is grown specifically for the purpose of creating a nutrient-rich
food for livestock. Straw is a byproduct of different crops. Straw
is more often used for bedding, a compost pile, fuel for burning,
etc.
When farmers plant a hay field, the field is harvested before the
grains go to seed. This keeps valuable nutrients in the stalks and
makes for a much more well-rounded diet for horses and other forms
of livestock. Straw, on the other hand, is a byproduct of other
types of grain crops. When crops like wheat, barley, and oats are
harvested for their seed, the stalks are left behind. These
stalks, which have been drained of most of their nutrients during
the process of seed production, are harvested and baled to create
straw.
There are different types of hay, and have different nutritional
values and usages. Alfalfa, red clover, timothy, bermudagrass and
tall fescue are all types of hay grown as feed crops for animals
from horses to rabbits. The nutrient value of the hay is also
dependent on when it’s harvested. Early maturity harvests will
contain more of their nutrients than hay that is harvested closer
to seed production. For horses, the type of horse and dietary
needs will mean a difference in the type, quantity, and quality of
hay that is used.
Straw can be made from a variety of grain crops, and regardless of
where it comes from, its purposes are generally the same. Some
farmers will leave the stalks behind after harvesting seeds,
tilling them back into the soil and returning what nutrients are
left. Straw is often used as bedding for large animals, but it
also has non-farming uses. Straw is a highly valuable renewable
energy source, and burning straw can be used to generate power.
Many power plants in the UK fuel thousands of homes by burning
straw. A single power plant in East Anglia burns about 210,000
tons of straw a year, and that provides enough energy to run about
80,000 homes.
A bale of straw can also be used for composting into gardens or in
place of dirt. Recent attempts at bringing a bit of home-grown
vegetables and country living to the city have yielded some
surprising results. A bale of straw can be used as a planting
medium for garden vegetables. A wet bale of straw will decay from
the inside out, providing a fertile bed for crops from potatoes to
herbs.