Bedding and Feeding Questions

[aclee]

We have 38 Cornish and 1 unknown right now, and I have a couple questions...

Right now they are on pellets and some shavings and that's working great. Yesterday and today we have been mulching leaves that were left from last fall into barrels. We were planning to bring these to the leaf dump and maybe work a few into our garden beds, but could I use this as a supplement to the chickens bedding? Right now they are only a little over 2 weeks old, and are still in a large brooder.

Once the grass starts coming in and my husband is mowing it, can I use the mulched grass that is collected in the bagger in their pens to get them some green to pick through, or would this not be safe because it had gone through the mower blades etc?

Thank you!

 

[Lollipop]

aclee, your leaves can definately be used for bedding and litter in the coop and run. Grass clippings are very controversial. There are incidents of crop obstructions blamed on grass clippings. Seems that chickens clip off grass in short pieces, whereas the mower cuts longer pieces that can glog up the plumbing. I wouldn`t do it........Pop

 

[pardenx3]

I have never given ours any sort of mulch, like what comes out of a lawn mower bag or anything, but we have TONS of clover I pick by the handfuls and toss in the coop to them, along with fresh grass that they suck up like spaghetti noodles. They know when I am picking them their snacks because they all line up at the coop edge watching me, then beat me to the door when they see me coming with handfuls!

 

[chickeepoo]

I would definitely stay away from long grass blades… we just had impacted crop on a hen that I failed to notice before it was almost fatal. Long grass pieces plus a ton of sand and oatmeal backed up behind it was what my hubby emptied out during crop surgery.

I was picking grass for them a while back but now I'll chop their greens myself if they can't pick it themselves.

 

[#1California Chick]

I use raked leaves (unchopped) in my coop and in my run. In a couple of days the leaves are completely pulvarized!