Garden/Chicken question

[Alleychick]

Hey guys i'm doing the deep littler method and am loving it... but can i just dump it on my garden or am i missing a step. I plan on cleaning and clearing the coop out 3 x's a year. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[jhill1440]

Do not dump directly on garden beds. It needs to be composted down. There are bacteria in the litter that can contaminate the vegetables. The risk is slight but not worth it. Look up composting techniques and find one that you like. After it is composted it will be a great amendment to your soil.

peace
josh

 

[silkiechicken]

If the litter is nice and aged at the bottom of your DLM, then you can compost it in. If it's still fresh and "hot" it can burn your roots of the plants.

 

[Chirpy]

Well... I can tell you what happened to us this year when we just dumped our spring clean out (I, too, use the DLM) directly into the garden. It killed everything! Nothing grew... even weeds. I found out that the pine shavings were too acidic for my soil. I need to compost my shavings for at least a year before adding them to my garden in the future. Now, I have to fix my soil for my garden next year.

Now, depending on where you live that may not be an issue for you. So, you need to find out if your soil is alkaline or acidic to start with and that will help you make your decision on when to add the shavings.

 

[Alleychick]

Oh dear... do i need to buy a composter or are there other alternatives. I'd really like the composte for my punkins.

 

[Beekissed]

Don't go out and buy a composter, just dump it on the ground and let the rain and sun soften and neutralize it a little. Turn it now and again and just use small amounts in thin layers when adding to your garden. Shouldn't be a problem then. I just sprinkle mine right onto the edges of my garden and let the rain filter it into the soil in the middle of the beds.