BREAKING DOWN 'Unintentional Tort'. In certain cases, a person causing an accident may be held legally responsible for their negligence and may have to pay a plaintiff for physical injuries, property damage and/or financial loss.
Straw is normally used for a bedding material, while hay is used as a feed supplement. Straw is dried out and works well for building nests and providing cushioning for animals to sleep in. It is not moist like hay and is unlikely to mold.
But it is a fine line. Straw and hay both begin life the same wayâas a field crop. The word 'hay' refers to the entire harvested plant, including the seed heads. Most hay is grown to be used as animal feed, and is generally, as Mary Beth correctly notes, timothy, rye, alfalfa or a specialized grass.