Can leaves work as bedding?

[FathertoFeathers]

I just raked the backyard and I have a insane amount of leaves. Can I use them in my coop and run it will the decomposing leaves give health risks? Would they be good until they get wet? Just to clarify I have 6 ducks and no chickens (yet starting to go chicken crazy). Would it be safe to use leaves or should I stick to straw?

 

[FortCluck]

Yes, you can use them. Just make sure that they are dry before you put them in. I used them last year in my coop from winter till spring and it made compost for my gardens! I didn't take any of them out until the spring and I would add more every couple of weeks. I use those big contractor bags that are black at Lowe's and put the dried leaves in them and store them in the shed.

They actually will add some heat into your coop too which I like during the winter months because they are being turned into compost.

I used them in my chick's coop this year.

 

[sylviethecochin]

They're fine. Use dry ones so you don't have to deal with mold. Also (not sure if this is an issue for ducks) wilted wild cherry leaves are poisonous. Older, dry wild cherry leaves are fine.

 

[aart]

They might work in coop if they are bone dry.
Lots of leaves can form a wet pack where anaerobic organisms can thrive,
none of which are good for any poultry.
Best to mix them with larger and slower decomposing items, like large wood chippings.
I have bagged dry leaves into old feed bags to toss out occasionally over the winter,
it only worked one year when leaves were really dry when bagged, nest year they felt dry but molded even tho they were under cover in a shed. Was going to try paper leaf bags this year, but we got 2' of snow before the leaves fell.

 

[FortCluck]

They might work in coop if they are bone dry.
Lots of leaves can form a wet pack where anaerobic organisms can thrive,
none of which are good for any poultry.
Best to mix them with larger and slower decomposing items, like large wood chippings.
I have bagged dry leaves into old feed bags to toss out occasionally over the winter,
it only worked one year when leaves were really dry when bagged, nest year they felt dry but molded even tho they were under cover in a shed. Was going to try paper leaf bags this year, but we got 2' of snow before the leaves fell.

I put leaves then I mix the pine shavings with them. So far the chicks love it. Keeps them nice and warm.

 

[NatJ]

I know leaves are fine for chickens, but they can get packed down. Regularly adding a new layer on top keeps the chickens clean enough and dry enough, and makes quite a compost pile to clean out in the spring. (Raking and bagging leaves for winter chicken bedding was a necessary fall chore when I was growing up--my mother would not consider buying chicken bedding when we had all those leaves right there.)

I am guessing they'd work the same for ducks as they do for chickens, but I have no personal experience with that.

 

[rosemarythyme]

it only worked one year when leaves were really dry when bagged, nest year they felt dry but molded even tho they were under cover in a shed. Was going to try paper leaf bags this year, but we got 2' of snow before the leaves fell.

That's a shame. I ended up with way more than I could store this year thanks to a long dry stretch, so I literally have bags up to the ceiling in my little greenhouse. Anything that fell after that, which was still quite a lot, went directly into the run, so the run is currently quite full, but drainage still looks good.

 

[TheChiggens]

My entire chicken house is a thick layer of leaves! It works great! It absorbs nicely/keeps dust down. Just replace it when needed.

 

[ArraAchicksMama]

Yes, you can use them. Just make sure that they are dry before you put them in. I used them last year in my coop from winter till spring and it made compost for my gardens! I didn't take any of them out until the spring and I would add more every couple of weeks. I use those big contractor bags that are black at Lowe's and put the dried leaves in them and store them in the shed.

They actually will add some heat into your coop too which I like during the winter months because they are being turned into compost.

I used them in my chick's coop this year.

View attachment 1967713

Why does it have to be dried in order to be put in the coop?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Why does it have to be dried in order to be put in the coop?

Aart answered above:

They might work in coop if they are bone dry.
Lots of leaves can form a wet pack where anaerobic organisms can thrive,
none of which are good for any poultry.

Also the moisture being put out by the leaves as they dry would raise the humidity inside the coop and probably not be great for the wood itself (worst case scenario would be mold), but that probably depends on the climate and amount of ventilation in the coop.