Disposing of old shavings

[RonP]

Composting wood chips takes years unless you add nitrogen
JT

Agreed.

One of the reasons I keep a dry coop and only change out the shavings once per year.
By then, there is a lot of dried manure in the litter. Probably more manure than shavings... Dry so no odors.

This works extremely well once out in the run, still no odors or mud since it sits on very high deep litter (18-20 inches minimum), deeper still in the fall with about a foot of shredded leaves added.

This was early spring when I added about 3/4 acres of fresh cut mulched grass.
that hardware cloth is 2 feet tall. Winter started out with the litter at the top of the board.

Finished compost exits through the 1/2 hardware cloth and is collected.

 

[aart]

This was early spring when I added about 3/4 acres of fresh cut mulched grass.

Ever had any impacted crops for giving all that fresh cut grass?
Do you do this all summer?

 

[BantyChooks]

I dump mine in the woods to stew for a few years and rake it into the run as needed.

 

[ThenewRoosterintown]

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!

I use hay and straw it breaks down quicker in the compost.

 

[RonP]

Ever had any impacted crops for giving all that fresh cut grass?
Do you do this all summer?

I would never do anything that I believed would be detrimental to the health of my flock.

The cut grass is bagged using a mulching mower, grass bagged and donated by my gardening friends.

As such, I know that all is safe, free from chemicals, and cut short. This is a fine fescue, not straw like in any way.

I need this for the nitrogen content, bird manure was insufficient to produce the copious amounts of compost my gardening friends wanted.

The flock picks through this, they do not gorge themselves, mostly scratching looking for whatever else might be more interesting.

I offer this not only through the summer months, but I turn some into silage, and feed throughout the year.

The above photo shows silage produced from lawn clippings, fed throughout the colder months. Once again, they eat and enjoy, but do not gorge themselves. Of course, they have many other food options, most importantly their access to all flock, all free choice.

Making silage was much easier than expected. I experimented with several methods gleamed from my internet research. The only issue I had, everything I tried worked. I made enough to feed a goat for over 2 years ...

Meet Lola...

 

[Molpet]

I would never do anything that I believed would be detrimental to the health of my flock.


View attachment 1152100

The above photo shows silage produced from lawn clippings, fed throughout the colder months. Once again, they eat and enjoy, but do not gorge themselves. Of course, they have many other food options, most importantly their access to all flock, all free choice.

Making silage was much easier than expected. I experimented with several methods gleamed from my internet research. The only issue I had, everything I tried worked. I made enough to feed a goat for over 2 years ...

Meet Lola...

View attachment 1152173

never thought about making silage.. I am used to the big silos of it for cows..

did you try this way.. seems like something I could do w/food grade bags http://smallfarmcanada.ca/2014/making-forage-on-a-very-small-scale/

 

[RonP]

never thought about making silage.. I am used to the big silos of it for cows..

did you try this way.. seems like something I could do w/food grade bags http://smallfarmcanada.ca/2014/making-forage-on-a-very-small-scale/

His way will work.

My way...
Forget the food grade bags...
I used regular trash bags for the grass, inside heavy duty contractor bags, inside 50 gallon pails. Put 2 25 pound weights on top, wait 24 hours, remove weights, seal contractor bag, open 6 to 24 months later...

Hope this is clear. Seemed anyway I tried, got the same excellent results, but as discussed above, simple works well.

 

[Molpet]

His way will work.

My way...
Forget the food grade bags...
I used regular trash bags for the grass, inside heavy duty contractor bags, inside 50 gallon pails. Put 2 25 pound weights on top, wait 24 hours, remove weights, seal contractor bag, open 6 to 24 months later...

Hope this is clear. Seemed anyway I tried, got the same excellent results, but as discussed above, simple works well.

thank you, I'll give it a try

 

[twilightgecko]

i clean out my coop a lot.. it's small, so i can't deep litter.. so i burn em in my fire pit.. yeah, they burn slow.. but i live in the country, no one cares out here..

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Since I've started using the poop boards don't have as much waste. I am use straw and wood chips in the nest boxes and a small amount on the floor of the coop. I clean that out as needed. I use it around trees I planted earlier this year as mulch and any remaining litter gets scattered along the fenceline at the back of the property. The chickens turn it over in the naturally occurring tree litter. I do the same thing with poop from the poop boards as I don't yet have a compost pile.