DLM in the run and wanting to try leaves

[hillbillygreen]

I've had the same run for ages. Concrete base, wisteria overhead, decent air flow. I always did pine shavings, but I really notice when I turn it into the compost, I'm not getting those shavings to breakdown as quickly as I'd like. But directly between the run and the compost is a ginormous pile of leaves I've been slowly adding to the compost! Duh!! I feel dumb for not thinking of this earlier, but outside of issues I've heard of with them getting moldy etc, they get wet and dry out just as much as the shavings and they're free! Anyone have any experience with using leaves in the run? I feel like I need to build up the volume for them somehow. Should I cover the leaves with a tarp to keep them dry?

 

[Punkybrewster]

I throw leaves, mulch, dirt, coop shavings, etc into my run. The secret is to add just a thin layer at a time and let them churn it up.

 

[aart]

If you're looking to make good garden soil, don't use any wood at all.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I mix dried leaves into my deep litter. I bag up as many dried (which is tough since we get a lot of rain) leaves as I can gather in the fall, usually around 16-18 bags, and then save them to use through the year in both the chicken area and my compost bins. To keep them bone dry through the year I stuff my greenhouse full of bagged leaves.

"Dried" leaves that I can't get dried out in time to bag I throw directly into the run, so by end of fall the run litter is noticeably thick with leaves.

A bag or two at a time in spring and summer gives the chickens plenty of stuff to kick around.

 

[3KillerBs]

Leaves are wonderful in the run -- a genuine "forest floor" substrate.

IMO, the best Deep Litter is made from a mix of materials of different sizes and textures so that the litter doesn't pack and mat to create anaerobic pockets.