Disposing of old shavings

[pnwmom]

We have six hens and I try to clean out their coop a couple times a month. The problem is that we don't know how to dispose of the used shavings. Some of it I throw in compost but I've got way more shavings than I do greens for my compost. we tried burning it once but it takes forever and neighbors probably don't appreciate it. I don't know what to do with it!

 

[Kiki]

Put it in a trash bag and throw it away.

 

[fightingbunny]

Can't you just leave it longer to compost? I don't think you need to keep the balance perfect for compost. The perfect balance just makes it compost faster.

 

[jthornton]

Composting wood chips takes years unless you add nitrogen (Ammonium Sulphate works) and turn the pile from time to time.

JT

 

[PetesChicks]

My first coop I had that problem. Cleaning it and putting new shavings in every couple weeks made a huge pile of shavings for a compost heap, and not much composting. I switched to the deep litter method with a poop board, it really works. Almost no smell, and the pile of shavings I had for a compost pile has turned into a fine compost with all the chicken poop from the poop board. I have about 1/2 inch of builders sand on my poop board, and mix some PDZ in with the sand. Every time I scoop it, I add a little PDZ.

 

[CapricornFarm]

You can give it away in the free section on Craigslist, people will come and get it.

 

[RonP]

Are you cleaning the coop, or coop and run?
If just the coop, I would simply put them in the run to slowly decompose.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Put it in a trash bag and throw it away.

Valuable fertilizer for the garden. I will keep mine to use.

 

[aart]

Composting wood chips takes years unless you add nitrogen

This!^^^

You'd need a well balanced and maintained compost to break down pine shavings, lots of greens and keep it moist, turned, and hot for a few months to break them totally down.

Not good to mix them into the garden soil either, that wood will suck the nitrogen out of the soil and away from your plants. Fine as mulch on top of soil, especially in pathways between rows of plants, and some nutrients will leach down for plants to use.

I've finally set up my run with semi-deep litter, so I just toss them into the run after the annual coop shavings change out. BUT... I use a poop board and have a larger setup.

 

[AlleysChicks]

This is why I stopped using shavings for my coop floor. There was just so much of it when I cleaned it out and it never went away. I found that straw was a better choice for me.