Pea gravel and wood chips

[bjurbrat]

I only have 7 chickens so they don't tear up the grass I do though have dirt for them to scratch around and I dig worms for them every day they get yogurt with apples or some kind of fruit we do have hawks but I guess that the price of being free ❣

Here's my set up the yard part done just need to finish the outside of the coop

 

[amk122284]

3killers and rosemary - I am totally going to start off trying this! I am feeling much more confident!

 

[amk122284]

Ok, as of right now the only "natural" things available to me are wood chips and grass clippings. This fall I will have an obscene amount of leaves to mix in. Until then are their any recommendations on anything I could maybe purchase to help give it a bit more of a mix to start?

Also I know pine shavings wouldn't be a great option for over all deep litter but would it be safe to spread a 5 gallon bucket of pine shavings from the coop and the pdz I clean up throughout the 10x16 run a couple of times a month or will that cause issues to the compost balance?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Ok, as of right now the only "natural" things available to me are wood chips and grass clippings. This fall I will have an obscene amount of leaves to mix in. Until then are their any recommendations on anything I could maybe purchase to help give it a bit more of a mix to start?

Also I know pine shavings wouldn't be a great option for over all deep litter but would it be safe to spread a 5 gallon bucket of pine shavings from the coop and the pdz I clean up throughout the 10x16 run a couple of times a month or will that cause issues to the compost balance?

Nah, shouldn't have to buy anything just for the purpose of mixing in. If you do some gardening, throw in weeds into the mix, or if you have veggie scraps from the garden or after making dinner, throw those in too. I found out the hard way that it takes quite a while for tougher things like whole corn cobs to break down and vanish, but they will over time.

No reason not to toss in the pine shavings, but if you notice they start retaining too much water after rainstorms, maybe ease back on the amount a bit.

 

[3KillerBs]

Pine shavings are fine. My in-town yard was too small to provide sufficient material year round so I used up to 50% pine shavings.

I will say though that I was on exceedingly well-drained ground. They don't call it "The Sandhills" for nothing.

 

[amk122284]

Thank you everyone! I had the thought that we could always head up my inlaws driveway (they are our neighbors) and pop in to the woods and bring out a couple wheelbarrows of leaves and stuff that's all ready on the ground too!

 

[amk122284]

Official- dirt, 2 inch base of standard choppy pine chips, topped with 4 inches of hardwood chips and bark mulch mixture. All natural no additives etc. Found an awesome source about 25 mins away from us! Here's to the start of our compost deep litter run

Edit to add, there will be another 4 inches of space before the top of the run "wall" is hit so I will be able to add here and there easily if I feel it needs to be added to.