Are leaves a concern inside a chicken coop?

[Blooie]

You raise valid concerns. All I can say is that, for me, and after 3+ years of using them during all 4 seasons of the year in both my coop and my run, they proved their value over and over. The only results with leaves here was good, rich compost and healthy chickens living with effective deep litter. There really isn’t anything that can’t harbor mites or doesn’t have other drawbacks of some kind. How serious those drawbacks are depends on what each person finds an acceptable trade off for what suits the needs of the chickens.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I know a lot of people who use leaves because they are plentiful and free. I won't ever use them as I feel if your coop isn't ideally vented, mold and moisture will just accumulate causing all kinds of issues, not to mention rot to say the least. Plus picking them off the ground I have no idea what is attached to those leaves such as mites, lice and whatever else the locals have going on. With sand and packaged bedding I know they are more sterile. Also leaves and the like are prone to clumping when wet, regardless of your ventilation. This can cause sticking to your birds and creating a slippery surface which may lead to foot issues. Bedding moisture is also a breeding ground for a lot of bacteria that can be harmful and contagious.

I don't really have answers. I just know that they're outside most of the day, digging out dust baths in the dirt, surrounded by leaves and all kinds of critters like mice and lice.

When it poured for days a month ago or so, the leaves inside the coop stayed nice and dry, and they enjoyed digging in them. With the pine shavings, they seemed bored and out of their natural element.

When I added a much larger ratio of pine needles to leaves, the coop felt downright comfy and enticing, and warmer. It made me want to sleep in one of the nesting boxes!

 

[koopmaster]

Great ideas!! Pine shavings are what? The pine needles you all use, are they the brown rusty colored ones that lay on the ground under the pines?
In our koop, we have wood chips from a local lumber mill, in the run I use grass clippings, leaves. I'm gonna get some pine needles as you all do, well.... once the snow melts!

 

[Mr Pink]

I have heard couple different people make arguments against leafs however I have talked to and seen first hand many folks who have used the DL method with leafs with nothing but positive results ! The biggest reason I got chickens to start with is the end result of the composting process.

I figured if leafs were bad for animals God wouldn't let them fall to the ground since the beginning of time ...all I'm doing is creating a microcosm in my coop and run to what happen in the forest naturally ! All the wild turkeys on my properties seem to be doing quite well living their entire lives on dead leafs !

 

[Sam Florida]

I know a lot of people who use leaves because they are plentiful and free. I won't ever use them as I feel if your coop isn't ideally vented, mold and moisture will just accumulate causing all kinds of issues, not to mention rot to say the least. Plus picking them off the ground I have no idea what is attached to those leaves such as mites, lice and whatever else the locals have going on. With sand and packaged bedding I know they are more sterile. Also leaves and the like are prone to clumping when wet, regardless of your ventilation. This can cause sticking to your birds and creating a slippery surface which may lead to foot issues. Bedding moisture is also a breeding ground for a lot of bacteria that can be harmful and contagious.

how do you get moisture in your coop? water and food should be left in the run.

 

[Sally PB]

@Sam Florida, this is a very old thread, so you are not likely to get a response.

By the way,

 

[Planet partners]

the Korean Natural Farming (KNF) method of coop bedding uses deep wood chip mulch inoculated with indigenous microbes.