I will soon be a first timer with laying hens. From what I have learned, I think the deep litter method would work best for me in northern Minnesota. I also have a 20X30 foot garden with raised beds. In zone 3b, our growing season is only about 4 months (June - September). I am thinking ahead of how to reuse the chicken coop deep litter bedding in the garden and would appreciate any feedback from this community.
I have lots of woods chips, grass clippings from 3 acres of lawn in the summer, and more leaves than I can use in the fall. I expect to use those free materials for as much deep litter bedding as I can. I have two chipper/shredders so I do chip up fallen branches, dead wood, etc... and in the fall can shred leaves to reduce the storage size of the material. I have 2 riding mowers with baggers, and expect I will have more grass clippings than I could feed to my 8 hens.
Fall planning: I plan on start the deep litter bedding this spring, adding to it though out the summer, and then cleaning the coop in the fall after the garden is done. I would use that deep litter by dumping it directly on the raised beds, and letting it set there over winter with about 3-4 feet of snow on top. Then, in the spring, I think the raised bed would be ready for planting as is. I know the wood chips may not be fully composted and I would dig down to the soil when actually planting. My question, would the chicken droppings be cooled off enough over winter so that the plants would not get nitrogen burned?
Spring planning: After a long, cold Minnesota winter, I would expect the deep litter to be pretty deep and full of chicken droppings come spring. I am planning on a good spring cleaning of the bedding and dumping all that deep litter in the garden, but only on the walkways between the raised beds. Then I would just let that litter sit on the walkways during the growing season, and maybe raking it up in the fall and dumping that into the raised bed. My question, would the deep litter from the spring cleaning leach under the raised beds from spring/summer rains and burn the roots of the plants in the raised bed? I think not, but I don't know.
Up till now, without chickens, I have just dumped woods chips, grass clippings, and leaves out in the garden between the raised beds and let the material compost there on the ground. I have also used the wood chips and grass clippings as mulch on the raised beds during the growing season. For me, it just works better than compost bins.
I am really hoping to use the chicken bedding to super charge my garden, but don't have any real experience. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks.
I have lots of woods chips, grass clippings from 3 acres of lawn in the summer, and more leaves than I can use in the fall. I expect to use those free materials for as much deep litter bedding as I can. I have two chipper/shredders so I do chip up fallen branches, dead wood, etc... and in the fall can shred leaves to reduce the storage size of the material. I have 2 riding mowers with baggers, and expect I will have more grass clippings than I could feed to my 8 hens.
Fall planning: I plan on start the deep litter bedding this spring, adding to it though out the summer, and then cleaning the coop in the fall after the garden is done. I would use that deep litter by dumping it directly on the raised beds, and letting it set there over winter with about 3-4 feet of snow on top. Then, in the spring, I think the raised bed would be ready for planting as is. I know the wood chips may not be fully composted and I would dig down to the soil when actually planting. My question, would the chicken droppings be cooled off enough over winter so that the plants would not get nitrogen burned?
Spring planning: After a long, cold Minnesota winter, I would expect the deep litter to be pretty deep and full of chicken droppings come spring. I am planning on a good spring cleaning of the bedding and dumping all that deep litter in the garden, but only on the walkways between the raised beds. Then I would just let that litter sit on the walkways during the growing season, and maybe raking it up in the fall and dumping that into the raised bed. My question, would the deep litter from the spring cleaning leach under the raised beds from spring/summer rains and burn the roots of the plants in the raised bed? I think not, but I don't know.
Up till now, without chickens, I have just dumped woods chips, grass clippings, and leaves out in the garden between the raised beds and let the material compost there on the ground. I have also used the wood chips and grass clippings as mulch on the raised beds during the growing season. For me, it just works better than compost bins.
I am really hoping to use the chicken bedding to super charge my garden, but don't have any real experience. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks.
