Chicken safe mulch?

[MyISAbrownhens]

i have a lot of chicken safe flowers planted around my chicken coop, but it's been very rainy the past week and all the soil is almost washed away. Is there any mulch that is chicken safe? I'm using pine straw right now which I heard was ok for them but I was wondering if there was anything else I could use...

 

[BYCforlife]

i have a lot of chicken safe flowers planted around my chicken coop, but it's been very rainy the past week and all the soil is almost washed away. Is there any mulch that is chicken safe? I'm using pine straw right now which I heard was ok for them but I was wondering if there was anything else I could use...

I'm not sure. Sorry!

 

[AquaDuck]

Do you mean something to cover the earth around the plants so the soil won't rain away? What about gravel or small stones? Big enough so that the chickens won't kick them away. Compost, grass clippings and bark will most likely end up everywhere except where you want it after the chickens have had their fun.

 

[aart]

Any wood mulch that's not treated or colored in any way should be 'safe' as far as toxicity to chickens...tho your plants might not be safe from chickens. Whatever you put down, including the plants, could very well be scratched up and all over in short order.

 

[Folly's place]

Avoid black walnut, colored mulch, and cocoa bean leavings. Any shavings, chips, grass, etc should be fine otherwise. Mary

 

[Kellycbf]

check Craigslist for a tree service looking to get rid of wood chips from tree projects.

 

[Outdoorlover]

check Craigslist for a tree service looking to get rid of wood chips from tree projects.

I spend hundreds on much every year, I never thought of checking Craigslist
Thanks!

 

[aart]

Best to let any fresh chippings from a tree service age for at least few months
before allowing chickens to access them, especially for a deep litter situation.

All the moisture in them, along with the organisms on the bark and floating in the air,
can fuel a huge fungus/mold(aspergillus as well as others) bloom that could well be toxic to birds.

 

[Birdinhand]

I would avoid chips from toxic plants like cherry laurel, a very common shrub. I use mulch for bedding for my meet birds, the more broken down the better, left out in the elements for a couple seasons even, then it gets composted with the manure and becomes wonderful garden compost.

 

[Ronnie2]

I use pine needles in my all my nest boxes , and to cover the coop's bare ground floor, works great. I was informed that that it is the best you can use, better than shavings or chips. The feed store sold me a bag of chips, said that was better for raising baby chicks on, what a mess trying to stir it around, never again. Pinestraw for me, it's all I want for free. Pinetree plantation