Added a ton of leaves to the coop and run= chicken heaven!

[whittychick]

I just can't get over how after 2 months it doesn't smell! I clean my coop every week!!! (I'm a neat freak tho) I use shavings and hay! And there's droppings everywhere. It drives me crazy!

 

[thechickenboss]

I am pretty new to raising chickens, what is the deep litter method? I have noticed that the chickens really like to scratch and peck at the leaves when they blow into their run.

 

[Mike592]

I am pretty new to raising chickens, what is the deep litter method? I have noticed that the chickens really like to scratch and peck at the leaves when they blow into their run.

There is a ton of information on the Deep Litter Method and if you do a search you'll find a lot of good reading.

But in a nutshell, think of composting. (It's not exact, but a good start). The chicken manure is very high in nitrogen. As needed, depending on the size of your coop, number of occupants, etc, add carbon material to cover the high nitrogen droppings... like dry leaves, dry grass clippings, sawdust, wood shavings, straw, hay, etc.

This is best done on a bare earth floor, but not necessary if you have some patience and especially if you add in some finished compost to kick start things. Natural and good microbes, fungi, bacteria, bugs, and other stuff starts working and breaks down the manure and carbon bedding. Having the chickens scratching around aerating everything speeds up the process.

Once or twice a year (or however long depending on your situation), muck everything out, leaving a couple inches of finished litter to kick start the next batch as you start all over. If the compost is totally finished, put it right on your garden beds. Likely, it's a good idea to let it compost further in a pile or container outside your coop.

Simple. Hygienic because the good microbes keep down the bad bacteria and stuff. Easy.

 

[donnajeanne]

I've never heard of the deep litter method...New at this lol. Can someone let me know what this is

 

[KrazeyLady]

I have up to 60 hens at a time. They mostly live in a large tin shed with a small run (approx 10metre sq) but do have complete free range access to a larger field (approx 200metre sq) and surounding fields (this info is for people who start on about the run being to small for so many chooks).
In spring when I do a total clean out of the barns I thow everything from the sheep, goats, ferets and dogs bedding into the small yard. The hens go beserk and (normally - but that's another story) lay exceptionally well. By autumn the straw/hay/wood chippings have mostly broken down into good compost which I bag up - using the large paper sacks from dog and cat food and other animal grains. These sacks are then laid onto my veg beds. Helps prevent weeds and the paper breaks down so the beds are composted for the next growing season.
Chicken Heaven and Total Re-Cycle.

 

[galaxy]

Keep us posted on how this works for you. We have a ton of leaves and it would be nice to use them.

 

[MissB629]

This is a good thread for bringing awareness to just how beneficial chickens can be when it comes to composting. I do raised bed, organic gardening and compost is a must! My garden, greenhouse, chickens, coop and run are all entwind together. I use no store bought fertilizers or pesticides whatsoever. My okra grew to 14 feet this past season and right now I have huge heads of broccoli that is ready for harvest. Bringing chickens into the picture has saved me a lot of work. Now that I have them working the beds and making compost I can spend my time building more beds. To keep them out of the beds I don't want them in, I just put about an 18" tall fence made of chicken wire and wrap it around the bed using the corner post and screws to keep it secure.

This is a bed of red okra I did this year. Once the okra started getting tall I took the chicken wire off. They kept the bed weeded and fertilized all summer long. This is a 4' X 10' bed, it had 160 okra plants in it. I fried up okra almost daily, put up pickled okra daily, gave okra away and still threw okra in the compost pile all summer long!

 

[debid]

I'm also using leaves in the run and have for a couple years. I rake and store leaves all fall, packed dry in large sacks, for use just about year-round. It keeps the run from being muddy, the chickens love scratching in their leaves, and they generate some really terrific leaf crumble that I put in the garden when it builds up a bit (and the worm population explodes...) I also have an aquarium and water with fish waste when I do quarter-changes. Between the fish and the chickens and the compost pile, the plants around here thrive without any commercial fertilizers. I was cautioned when I first posted about leaves in the run that my chickens would get mites. It hasn't happened.

I'm using chopped straw in the coop and it is pretty slow to break down but that's a plus when your goal is improving drainage in clay soils. I use the heck out of my spent straw.

 

[DriverMan]

Leaves are great for the run in the Winter! I mix 1/2 wood chips with leaves and the girls really enjoy it. I enjoy because now I somewhere to put the leaves!!!

 

[TOP KNOT]

Keep us posted on how this works for you. We have a ton of leaves and it would be nice to use them.

Well in one week the over the knee deep leaves became pulverized to the point of just being ground level. I added one more load and the same thing happened. This is awesome! I have more leaves in the yard but it has rained and I want to add them dry as my run is covered. I think this ground cover will help keep their little feet warmer in the cold months. Because of the size of the leaves, they are easily turned over by the chickens which keeps the poo from sticking tho their feet and getting on the eggs. My girls have leaves to dig in and dirt to dust bath in.. what a life! I wish you could bale these for storage!! What a great chicken bedding!!