Dirt and Dry Leaves for Run Floor?

[Mom2g3]

Hi! I’ve had chickens for 3.5 years. My first flock of 9 were all killed by a neighbor dog back in Feb this year. Have a new mixed flock of 10.5 week olds.
I read somewhere at the beginning of my chickenkeeping journey that dry leaves on a dirt run mimick the forest floor, the natural habitat of chickens.
So, since then I have saved the dry leaves every fall and put them in piles in the run for the girls to spread, scratch and pick through for bugs and worms, etc. It’s like a party every time they get new leaves. When I’m able to consistently give them fresh dry leaves they scratch the leaves and it mixes with their poop and composts into fresh clean non-smelly dirt. It’s AWESOME!
Now that I have the new girls I don’t have many leaves saved up. What can I use in the meantime until I get new leaves in the fall?

 

[aart]

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.