Soft Barley Straw for Rodents and Rabbits – 17 Litres

Soft Straw – a soft addition to your pet’s enclosure

This soft barley straw is a useful addition to your rodents’ or rabbits’ enclosure. The finely chopped straw pieces feel soft and are easy to spread. For small rodents, mix it into the bedding or use it as an enriching top layer. For guinea pigs and rabbits, it provides a comfortable resting layer that you can also mix with regular straw.

The key is how you use it: this straw adds softness and variety, but it does not form a stable burrowing layer on its own. Burrows and tunnels do not hold their shape well in it. Burrowing rodents therefore still need a suitable base bedding that provides enough support.

For small rodents: mix it in or use it as a top layer

For mice, dwarf hamsters, hamsters and gerbils, soft straw adds variety to the enclosure floor. Mix a small amount into the existing bedding or spread it loosely over part of the surface. This creates an area with a different material for your pets to explore and rummage through.

As a top layer, it also works well in a foraging area. For example, scatter a small part of your pet’s usual dry food between the straw pieces. Your pet can then search for the food. Choose food that suits the species and count this amount as part of the daily portion.

Would you like to mix the straw into the burrowing layer? Keep the amount small so the base bedding retains its ability to hold together. Adding more straw does not automatically make the bedding more stable. For an enclosure in which your pet can build tunnels, choose a suitable base bedding first. Then add the soft straw as an extra.

For guinea pigs and rabbits: a soft resting layer

For guinea pigs and rabbits, this soft straw is a comfortable addition to a resting area or the existing bedding. Spread it loosely over the resting spot or mix it with regular straw. This combines the longer stems of regular straw with the softer, finer barley straw pieces.

You can use this combination indoors or in a suitable outdoor enclosure. Indoors, for example, you can add soft straw just to the sheltered resting corner. There is no need to cover the whole enclosure with the same material.

For rabbits living outdoors, a generous layer of dry straw in the sheltered sleeping compartment allows them to snuggle down and keep warm. Soft straw can be mixed in to create a softer resting surface. A dry, sheltered enclosure remains essential. Adding straw alone does not make an enclosure suitable for keeping pets outdoors.

How to use soft straw

1. Loosen the straw. Take the amount you need from the pack and gently shake it apart.
2. Choose how to use it. Mix it into the bedding, spread it as a loose top layer or add it to a resting area.
3. Add it where needed. Even a small straw area provides variety. For guinea pigs and rabbits, focus on making the resting area softer.
4. Keep the layer clean and dry. Remove wet and soiled areas and top up with fresh material.

For rabbits, use an absorbent bedding underneath the straw. This gives the lower layer and the soft upper layer their own roles. When cleaning, check underneath the straw too: a surface that looks dry does not always show the condition of the bedding below.

How much soft straw do you need?

For a loose top layer, calculate the amount using: length × width × layer depth in centimetres ÷ 1000 = litres. The examples below are calculations for a top layer only. They are not recommendations for the total depth of a burrowing layer or a winter straw layer.

If you are only covering part of the enclosure, measure that section. The actual amount also depends on how loosely you spread the straw and how much you mix with other materials.

Material and storage

Material: barley straw.
Contents: approximately 17 litres.

Store the pack in a dry place and close it securely after use. For more combinations, browse our range of straw for rodents and rabbits.