Leaves as bedding

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Poop dust leaves, plus oxygen and moisture, makes great compost. The most amazing part is how fast it happens. I'll pile leaves in in the fall, and by early summer, I'm searching for more carbon sources.

 

[TOMTE]

Hmm, not sure I'll have enough ()

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Hmm, not sure I'll have enough ()

I can send you some if you cover shipping.

 

[Jenbirdee]

i have another question- what about ducks- they love to dig in the leaves but they don’t break them down very much. so when it rains- (if it ever rains again lol it’s been months and is very dry here now) the leaves get slippery and moldy gross thick etc etc i guess that’s why i’m in the habit of raking or blowing them away into piles or out into the woods.

 

[TooCheep]

An easy way to think about it is: How does it work in nature?

Think of a forest. Leaves drop in the fall, birds, squirrels and other animals poo in it. Animals dig around looking for food. Weather, animals and creepy crawlies (worms/bugs/bacteria) break it down over time to create organic soil with absolutely no human intervention required. It smells good and requires no labor from us. That new soil helps to feed the trees and other plants to repeat the cycle next year.

The main difference is that we concentrate the chickens and leaves into a limited area and it produces the compost quicker. We are just following nature's pattern.

 

[PimsGarden]

I currently have Bradford pear, columnar oak, and American elm and I want to put some in my run/coop is it safe

You're good with those trees

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You're good with those trees

Agree.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Bird poop is "hot" compost. Nitrogen rich, it will burn your plants. Also smells strongly of ammonia, particularly wet. It is the "green" in a standard compost.

Leaves are "brown". On their own, they decay slowly. Relatively low nitrogen, full of lots of other trace minerals.

Leaves plus poop controls that ammonia-rich odor, and decomposes faster than leaves will on their own, turning that "hot", plant-burning poop into a more stable, nore balanced, more nutrient rich (if lower nitrogen) fertilizer/compost for use on your garden, around trees, etc.

You should see my roses.

 

[Jenbirdee]

just wondering why there’s no leaves in the title picture lol

 

[Sally PB]

You should see my roses.

Thanks for the picture! I was going to ask you to post one.