Dry Leaves As Bedding?

[patandchickens]

Shavings don't compost that poorly if you provide sufficient high-nitrogen material e.g. chicken poo, and sufficient water. Both of which they need more of (proportionately) than most other beddings.

So if you are using a style of management that does not discard very much clean shavings, it works fine. And incompletely-composted shavings-type bedding still makes good mulch, or to till in as a soil amendment for the next year's planting.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[elem]

I only have two chickens (for now

, I'm expecting a wellie, a blue wyandotte, and a holland chick in March

) so their covered run is one of my 4x8 garden beds. I have been adding one garbage bag of dry leaves each week and the soil, leaves, and poop look like pretty good compost already. I live in the PNWet and my yard looks like a swamp but the girls are still pretty dry - when it does get wet in the run I fluff it up and add another bag of leaves - dry feet, less dirt in the coop, and no smell! I don't think the leaves would work well in my little coop though as the girls prefer to sleep in the shavings and leaves wouldn't be absorbent enough.

 

[Imp]

I also live in the PNW too and use grass clippings, and leaves. I have never had a problem with mold. The chickens crunch them up pretty fast. I start off with about 12 inches and in about 1-2 weeks it's down to 1 inch. They never get it quite down to compost. The leaves are mostly Maple and Cherry with a few ornamentals thrown in.

Imp

 

[firsthouse_mp]

Just found this thread and wanted to say that I tried the dry leaves today and they are working GREAT! I use shavings in the coop, but have been trying to figure out how to keep the run a bit less muddy. I have about 6 inches of sand but it is still damp. I put in a huge bag of dried leaves and the run is now colorful, fluffier, and the hens are having a super time digging around and looking under the leaves (still the same ground gals, but somehow they think they will find something different!). While they spend most of their day out in the yard, I am very happy with this free source of fun and barrier from the dirt. When it's yucky and compacted, I will throw the leaves in with my planter boxes where the chicken poop and soil will love the leaves....composting is great!