Leaves in Coop

[beccram]

Hello all! Have any of you put leaves in your coop as bedding? If so, how deep ? I cleaned the coop today and put a nice thick
layer of leaves in there and the girls ran in and back out

. Do I have them too thick? Any advice welcomed

and thank you!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Chickens hate change. It may not be that the leaves are wrong just that something is different and they are freaked. They just need time to get use to new things. They may even stop laying a few days but they will get over it.

 

[beccram]

Thanks so much! Wish ours would just start to lay - no eggs yet but the girls are just 21 weeks today.....

 

[beccram]

Well, the girls finally decided that it was too dark and that the roost was where they wanted to be - so after the first brave girl went in and
the others saw that nothing ate her, they decided to go in too. That left the Roo, who still wasn't convinced he wanted to transverse the leaves to the roost

. I told him - the girls made it - so pull up your big boy pants and get in there. He finally decided that he should go, so in he ran . Finally - all in for the night across the scary leaves

. We'll see how they do come morning......

 

[Baymule]

Haha, mine do that too when I pile in grass clippings. Something about that big black plastic bag monster.

Then they act like the floor is covered in hot molten lava. I get sawdust sometimes and they freak over that too. I toss all kinds of stuff in the coop. What they don't eat, they peck, scratch and poop on. It comes out months later as rich beautiful compost. HELLLOOOOOO GARDEN!!

 

[beccram]

Day 2 of leaves in the coop

Sidney - our Australorp and Red our New Hampshire Red came out this morning on their own - so they got the Lion's share of the greens I threw in

. Had to convince the others it was time to come out and I think they think they were shortchanged on greens ( that should teach them -ha!) . Tonight though I went to put them in and they had already transversed those evil leaves and were already on their roosts

. Guess they may not be that scary after all

 

[beccram]

I can't wait for that this spring for my veggie garden!!

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Mine did the exact same thing the first time I filled their run with grass clippings. They acted scared to death for awhile until they realized it was something good to eat!

Now they all come running when they see that big black scary grass baggier heading their way! Like you, I'll be using leaves and pine needles as bedding on the barn floor very soon too!

Funny all the extra work we'll do for our chickens! I made a vow years ago to never rake leaves again! I have been running over them using a mulch blade on the riding lawnmower. Those days were so much easier.

Now, I'm just waiting until every single leaf has fallen from the trees before I hand rake.

Editing to add: LUCKY CHICKENS!

 

[Time-Out]

Mine act like that when I put fresh shavings in! You'd think they'd appreciate clean bedding! They try to fly from the door straight to the perch and if they miss, you should hear the squawking!

 

[iluvsedward]

This is my favorite gardening guy :