# What to do with old straw?



## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

So I'm wondering what all of you do with the old straw when you clean out your barn?
I've been piling it up for now, but don't know what to do with it...I'm going to end up with a HUGE pile!
I tried to burn a batch of it in the fire pit, that was a big, smokey mistake.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

My hubby tosses it over the garden , mainly the asparagus..
All I do when I clean out my stalls is toss it into the cans and miraculously it disappears , lol 
I took a walk to the other side of the propery to see the damage and there was all the straw and manure , lol 
Besides that we have a compost pile too.
He gets rid of it , whatever he does


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

WillowGem , I HAVE to have Arthur !
Can you just pack him up and send him UPS ?
I have to hug that little guy , lol. Jeez , I watched your video and fell in love with that face !!! Too cute 
And send his buddy too , he is adorable and I love his coloring


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

WillowGem said:


> So I'm wondering what all of you do with the old straw when you clean out your barn?
> I've been piling it up for now, but don't know what to do with it...I'm going to end up with a HUGE pile!
> I tried to burn a batch of it in the fire pit, that was a big, smokey mistake.


We use our old straw as mulch/fertilizer in our garden during growing season, and are also spreading it on the now empty garden spot and tilling it under every so often. The last batch I pulled out of the barn, on Saturday, I spread in the muddy areas just outside the barn door to keep those precious little hooves out of the mud! (16" of melting snow makes for a muddy mess!)

I know some people who stockpile it and then sell it to farmers to use for fertilizer.

We also use the straw from the chicken coop and the water from the pond filter as fertilizer. We let very little go to waste.

Also, if you decide to compost it, it breaks down quicker if you put it through a chipper shredder.


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## Hobbyfarmer (Sep 7, 2011)

Same as the others. Compost for gardens. If you don't want to use it post a craigslist or freecycle ad. People will come pick it up from you for theirs. If you do compost just read up on it. Needs moisture and oxygen (turning) to breakdown well.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Yep garden.

But I have way to much for my garden, so I put a add on craigs list, Free compost", I explain what it is. SO I get rid of the straw and I get people to come clean my barn. Win Win


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## Arkie (Sep 25, 2012)

An excellent compost rack can be built from (4) pallets tied together with coathangers!

Bob


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I burn mine. We just don't have the energy or time to do a compost pile.


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

Karen, Is there a trick to burning it?
When I've tried, it just makes huge amounts of black smoke.


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## GoatsLive (Jul 1, 2012)

Old clean straw I reuse as bedding for the chickens, then I compost it. I just set 2 6 foot fence posts in the ground and put some cattle fence around them on an oval. Stuff composts quite fast. The compost goes in our raised bed vegetable gardens.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

WillowGem said:


> Karen, Is there a trick to burning it?
> When I've tried, it just makes huge amounts of black smoke.


Is your hay all wet? When I clean out my barn, some is wet, some is not. While it does smoke I never felt it was that bad. If you have other dry things to burn, then add those and see how it goes.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Its the worms WillowGem , its the worms I tell ya !!


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

Trickyroo said:


> Its the worms WillowGem , its the worms I tell ya !!


 Yikes!!


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