Bedding

[Newfarm]

Hello fellow chicken fans,
First of all thank you so much for all the great advice! I'm very new to chicken raising so it is greatly appreciated. I'm sure other newbies have noticed that one person's miracle tactic is another person's worst nightmare so I ask some advice for bedding. I have an abundance of trees and leaves in my yard and I'm trying to use organic safe bedding for the chickens. I read somewhere that oak leaves are a wonderful option for bedding and then I read another piece of information that said they are toxic to chickens so I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with that? Also I have an abundance of palm fronds so are those safe? Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you and I look forward to your responses.

 

[Gallinarium]

Oak leaves, dried, are fine. They make bad quality bedding, though, but work in a pinch. I would assume palm fronds are okay, but wouldn't be very absorbent. In my personal preference the best beddings are:
Sand.
Coffee grounds.
Pine shavings.
Chopped straw.
Hay.

 

[3KillerBs]

Fallen oak leaves aren't toxic. Both scrub oak and live oak leaves were in the mix of raked leaves I gave my in-town chickens regularly in their run and they're in the mix of raked leaves I added to my current chicks' coop bedding.

Like the pine straw, they are not the most absorbent material, but mixed with the shavings they promote good drainage and prevent the other bedding from packing, matting, and developing anaerobic pockets.

Additionally, because trying to compost oak leaves can be like trying to compost plastic chips, putting them in the chickens' run is an excellent means of disposing of a hard-to-get-rid-of form of lawn waste.

I have no information about the use of palm fronds for chicken bedding.

 

[Sally PB]

Oh good! I now have another use for my piles and piles (and piles and more piles...) of oak leaves. I think the chickens will love to scratch through them. I will love to have them a bit more shredded for using as mulch in the spring.

 

[aart]

because trying to compost oak leaves can be like trying to compost plastic chips

I now have another use for my piles and piles (and piles and more piles...) of oak leaves

Wellll....mixed them with something chunky or they may just mat into a slimy anaerobic mass of nasty.

 

[Sally PB]

Thanks for reminding me, aart. I surely have had them do that too! When we rake up the yard, we get lots of little twigs, so that should help.

I sure have learned a lot from your posts. Thanks again.
Sally