Free Bedding

[1hobbyfarm]

In my area the power company contracts with a tree trimming service to keep the electrical lines clear, they chip the branches, leaves, etc. into coarse mulch and are always looking for places to dispose of the mulch. They will leave a truckload for free! I have been using this in my coops at about four inches deep, I can't believe how good this is working, no smell and the poop drops to the bottom and the top is always clean, the chickens seem to like this much better than the straw I was using before. Has anyone else tried this? Are there any drawbacks I haven't thought of?

 

[foreverlearning]

Sounds like it works great for your deep litter method. The only thing I can think of that would be a down side would be lice. You would have to have loose chickens in the area that the tree was to get them on the wood. You should already have a schedule that you check your flock for parasites, just keep looking to make sure nothing shows up and treat if it does. The risk is about the same as the risk of getting them from your shoes in a feed store (very low). If I were you I would keep up with the free bedding...one less expense to worry about.