Hay as mulch in chicken tractor gardens/instant gardens?

The hay we get has lots of seeds in it, which we don’t want coming up in the vegetable garden. Will the chickens eat these seeds (or most of them) if I use hay as their bedding in a chicken tractor garden/“instant garden” set up?

I can't speak for all chickens and all hay... but my chickens wouldn't leave any piece un-turned or any seeds un-eaten. Just make sure to give the spot a bit of a rest to allow the manure to decompose. Fresh chicken manure (even mixed with hay) can be too hot for plants.

I agree with Matt. In my experience you also want to wait for any uneaten seeds to sprout. I've put chicken manure/hay bedding onto my garden beds and there was always some seeds sprouting because the chicken house was not exposed to light and rain which is sort of the point of having a shelter. A chicken tractor will move from the spot and expose the hay/manure to the elements, allowing the remaining seeds to sprout if the conditions are right.

If the chickens are moved back to that spot they will likely eat the sprout or churn it up, leaving the sprout to die. My chickens always loved sprouted grains and tender seedlings.

They'll probably eat some, but you're still gonna have weeds pop up. I'd recommend that you'd plant plant starts in this area. Here's what you do:

1) Put the chickens in the area with the hay for four weeks. Add more carbon material as needed to keep it sanitary and smelling good.

2) At the same time you set this up, start your seeds in a greenhouse or cold frame or whatever.

3) After four weeks move out the chickens and plant your starts down through the mulch into the soil underneath.

If you aren't starting your own seeds, no big deal, just buy plant starts at the garden store or hardware store.

Ideally, you'll have enough carbon to absorb the chicken manure so your soil won't be too hot. Be sure to wash your produce thoroughly before you eat it.

Since you're just doing a Chicken Tractor sized garden it will be rather easy to pull any weeds that come up after you've moved the chickens out and planted your garden.