deanna: i've never used anything but wheat or oat straw
Darling daughter doing nicely. But, suffering from a flu bug.
I used to take the flu shot every year, and always got it.
Didn't take any shots this year and healthy as the proverbial horse! LOL
Strawbale test plot
If you are trying to save a couple of bucks on your bales, offer to take the ones at the edge of the barn of shed. I got mine yesterday and had the guy keep the really good stuff for cattle and horses. We are going to water it down anyway, so why not use the bales that might not be up to snuff for livestock. After I had my pickup loaded, the farmer dropped his price in half, without my having to ask.
Your are right, there are a lot of ways do it and that is one of them.
They need the good stuff for horses, but cattle can eat wet or moldy hay as they have those multiple stomachs to process it. I bought my straw bales at a local dairy. Don't know what they use it for or sell it for, but did get it marked down from $5 to $3/bale for the wet bales after rains.