Straw vs. Hay

Straw and hay are often used interchangeably, and it is easy to see why. They are both dry, grassy, and easy to find on farms in the fall, but the two terms actual describe different materials, and once you know what to look for, it is easy to tell the difference between them.

Hay refers to grasses and some legumes such as alfalfa that are grown for use as animal feed. The full plant is harvested—including the heads, leaves, and stems, then dried, and typically stored in bales. Hay is what livestock like cattle eat when there is not enough pasture available, or when the weather gets too cold to graze. The baled hay most non-farmers are familiar with is dry and yellow, but high-quality hay has more of a greenish hue.

Straw is the byproduct of crops, not the crop itself. When a plant, such as wheat or barley, has been stripped of its seeds or grains, the stalk is sometimes saved and dried to make straw. This part of the plant is lacking in nutrients, which means it doesn't make great animal fodder. Farmers have found other uses for the material throughout history, such as to weave baskets, thatch roofs, and stuff mattresses.

Straw is easy to identify, such as if it is being used in a way that would be wasteful if it were food. Every hayride you have ever been on was most likely a straw-ride.

Differences Between Hay and Straw

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.