Timothy hay is one of many hay types out there, there are a variety of hay types in existence and not all hays are made equal. Hays differ according to growing region, plant type, quality, and intended use.

Timothy hay can be fed to animals, this hay variety is high in both fiber and energy and is low in protein. This makes it a great hay for feeding cattle and horses, it can be fed to rabbits too.

If you’re raising chickens you may be considering giving your chickens Timothy hay, but is this a good idea? Do chickens eat Timothy hay? This article looks into it

Chickens do not eat Timothy hay, this hay is usually reserved for larger animals such as horses and cattle, it can also be given to smaller animals like rabbits but this hay should not be given to chickens. If Timothy hay is given to chickens, the birds can develop crop impaction

Can chickens eat timothy hay? Risks and Another hay option for chickens

Chickens do well on a diet of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Anything other than this is not needed by these birds. Timothy hay does not fall into any of these categories, chickens do not need it, in fact, Timothy hay can be dangerous if fed to chickens 

Timothy is given to rabbits as it maintains good dental and intestinal health. Unfortunately, Timothy hay does the opposite in chickens.

Risks of giving chickens timothy hay:

This hay will not improve a chicken’s dental health as chickens don’t have teeth. When chickens eat they swallow small pieces of unchewed food, this food moves down the bird’s digestive tract to be digested in their two stomachs.  

In addition, Timothy hay can cause havoc in the chicken’s digestive system as it can cause the bird to develop crop impaction. When chickens eat, their food enters the mouth, passes through the esophagus, and is held in the crop before moving further down into the rest of the bird’s digestive tract. 

Tough long stems or grasses, like Timothy hay, can form a ball in the bird’s crop and become stuck. This is referred to as crop impaction. From the outside, the crop will look and feel full.

The crop will not be able to clear if the bird is suffering from crop impaction. Sometimes, the hay blockage can extend into the proventriculus, if the bird does not get treatment for this ailment it can die.

Do chickens eat any other type of hay? 

Chickens, in general, aren’t always interested in eating hay, but one hay that chickens enjoy is alfalfa. Feeding chickens alfalfa means that you don’t have to depend on commercial feed as the bird’s sole food source. Alfalfa benefits these birds in a variety of ways 

Alfalfa may be similar to hay in that it grows on stems in fields but it is actually a legume. This plant contains a variety of vitamins and minerals such as calcium and nitrogen, it also is a great source of fiber, protein and is highly digestible by chickens.

It is also said to encourage egg-laying in chickens plus it boosts the bird’s offseason diet 

Note: Do your best to keep your birds from eating the inedible stems of alfalfa.

Do this by making sure that the birds have free choice pellets available and have somewhere to scratch. This will keep them from eating the stems out of hunger or boredom.

Birds should only be eating the leaves of this plant 

Conclusion

In conclusion, chickens cannot eat Timothy hay. This hay is more suited for horses, cattle and rabbits, not chickens. In fact, chickens can develop crop impaction if they are given Timothy hay.

One hay that can be given to chickens is alfalfa, chickens will go straight to the leaves of this plant.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can chickens eat turnips?, Can chickens eat English ivy?, Can chickens eat yellow cucumbers?, Can chickens eat yellow rice?