Official BYC Poll: How Do You Get Rid of Dirty Coop Bedding?

[rosemarythyme]

Since I use wood chips (same wood chips as in the run) and hemp, I just rake it out directly into the run. It does double duty as it becomes part of the deep litter there.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

I do the deep litter system with hemp bedding so after it’s finished I compost some and scatter some in the chicken yard too to add as ‘mulch’. A thin layer is left on the bottom of the coop before adding new hemp to keep some of the microbes and good bacteria!

 

[K0k0shka]

The stuff on the droppings board goes in the compost. The stuff on the coop floor goes in the garden in the fall so it is ready for spring planting.

What do you use on the coop floor? I have pine shavings and do the same with the garden - I even bury the bedding and mix it around with the soil to speed up its decomposition - but it’s never ready for spring planting I don’t use poop boards, so what I bury is shavings+poop, not just shavings, so the balance should be even better in terms of browns vs. greens, and there’s no identifiable poop left by springtime, but the shavings are still there… They seem to be gone only at the end of the growing season when I bury the next load.

 

[3KillerBs]

What do you use on the coop floor? I have pine shavings and do the same with the garden - I even bury the bedding and mix it around with the soil to speed up its decomposition - but it’s never ready for spring planting I don’t use poop boards, so what I bury is shavings+poop, not just shavings, so the balance should be even better in terms of browns vs. greens, and there’s no identifiable poop left by springtime, but the shavings are still there… They seem to be gone only at the end of the growing season when I bury the next load.

Wood is slow to decompose.

It will do it in a season in my warm climate, but you're probably too cool for that.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

In back of a 30x50 metal barn (our work shop & storage bldg) is a nice 50x50 space where I compost the chicken & pigeon manure. I have to room to dump & till it in different places, allowing it to age. Oldest manure area started when I moved here 2006 & it's the darkest, richest soil! The best, delicious Chickweed for my birds grows there. I can fill a few 5 gal buckets & use it where I garden. So the newest area is still breaking down but by the time I move over that way needing soil, it'll be ready, & the rotating process of where I'm placing fresh manure begins again. It never smells bad either, which was something I was concerned may happen. Also, we've built up a berm back there...the adjacent corn/soy field sometimes floods for a few days, when we get a few days of non-stop rain. We still may get some water accumulated but it's not as bad as the adjacent field now. It's a win win!

 

[swampfox440]

Compost and use on the garden.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

The stuff on the droppings board goes in the compost. The stuff on the coop floor goes in the garden in the fall so it is ready for spring planting.

Ditto!

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do you use on the coop floor? I have pine shavings and do the same with the garden - I even bury the bedding and mix it around with the soil to speed up its decomposition - but it’s never ready for spring planting

I also use pine shavings and usually till it in. I'll get a bit more specific on "spring planting". This is when I was in Northwest Arkansas so a different climate than you or down here.

I typically planted the cool weather crops like beets, carrots, turnips, cabbage, broccoli, potatoes, green peas, and such in February. I did not plant these where I'd spread the coop bedding. About the first of May is when warm weather crops like corn, beans, tomatoes. peppers, sweet potatoes, and such went in. I planted these in the area where I'd spread and tilled in the coop bedding.

I don't have the experience gardening in your climate. Another example of where location may matter. And an example of what works for me might not work for you. And that details matter.

 

[K0k0shka]

I also use pine shavings and usually till it in. I'll get a bit more specific on "spring planting". This is when I was in Northwest Arkansas so a different climate than you or down here.

I typically planted the cool weather crops like beets, carrots, turnips, cabbage, broccoli, potatoes, green peas, and such in February. I did not plant these where I'd spread the coop bedding. About the first of May is when warm weather crops like corn, beans, tomatoes. peppers, sweet potatoes, and such went in. I planted these in the area where I'd spread and tilled in the coop bedding.

I don't have the experience gardening in your climate. Another example of where location may matter. And an example of what works for me might not work for you. And that details matter.

Must be the climate then. Though I’ve read about people doing it here too (NY state etc.), but maybe they do it earlier in the fall and plant later the following year… or have a smaller amount… or something. I don’t plant anything until end of May, and the tilled shavings are very much still there. I may need to rethink my strategy.

 

[Ridgerunner]

and the tilled shavings are very much still there. I may need to rethink my strategy.

Its normal and healthy for garden soil to have organic matter in it, it will continue to break down and support colonies of microorganisms that help the soil. The poop will have broken down, that's what you want.

The wood shavings (a carbon) will tie up some nitrogen in the soil as they continue to break down, but the poop provided extra nitrogen. You can always fertilize with extra nitrogen too as long ss you don't overdo it. As long as they are mixed in with the soil and not a solid clump I would not worry about it. If they are a solid mass on top of the soil that is a mulch.