Duck bedding Q

[fisharescary]

Does anyone know if I can use pine needles, AKA 'pine straw' as bedding in a duck shelter or in their run? I've got monstrous amounts falling in my yard and I'm starting to run out of room to compost it even! (but not enough to sell commercially,of course. ) blows my mind that there are locals who have to pay for it.
How about dead leaves? We have a 'live oak' that drops leaves in our yard too. Trying to make lemon out of lemonade here. Or, bedding and a garden out of a nuisance

Also, does anyone know where D.E. is on the P.H. scale? Eventually the used pine beddding would go to the garden, and I'm wondering how much amending it would need (unless D.E. and duck poop are alkaline enough to counter the pine. doubtful.)

 

[TLWR]

both will work.

If you have more pine straw than you can deal with, try placing an ad in CL that you have pine straw if anybody wants to come rake it up. Seems that's a big thing down here. When it gets a bit colder, that's what I'll be putting in the duck house for their bedding.

 

[quiltbea]

I know that pine needles lower the PH in soil, so you might not want to add too much to your compost piles.

Its good to add to blueberry bushes and potato patches, though.

I can't help you on the duck needs of pine straw. I still don't have my ducks yet.

 

[HottentotTeal]

A while back, I considered pine straw, but currently don't have anything for them and don't know where to get it locally.



How about mold? how long could a few handfuls of this last with 2 small ducks?

I live in a very humid and sometimes wet area and hay and dried grasses mold too easy for me to use them.

I've heard straw is best to use in my climate, but i can't find a place that sells straw. They all sell hays.

 

[katharinad]

Pine straw and oak leaves are great. They are high in tannic acid, which prevents mold from growing on it. Plus they are great under shrubs as mulch chocking out weeds.

 

[pirtykitty]

We have oak trees here thats good to know.. will use some.. We use straw.

 

[HottentotTeal]

Cool,

they sell some pine straw bales in a town north of here, so maybe i can go buy one tomorrow.

 

[fisharescary]

Quote:
Sweet! We've already got a bunch working as mulch in several places, I really needed a new use for them.

 

[HottentotTeal]

I was able to find a bale of pine straw at one of the feed stores in town, so i picked one up.

Thanks for the recommendation.