Update on GROUNDS Coffee Ground Bedding for your coop!

[Ascholten]

I just posted some info in that thread, I don't want to spam it all over the site here but some food for thought on coffee grounds for bedding.

Hint: They STILL have caffeine in them !
Aaron

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/tsc-bedding-poisoned-chicks.1517405/page-2#post-25544840

 

[JennyHeidewald]

My update: been using grounds from coffee shop for about 2 years, had chicks on it with their momma, no problems. Love it, easy scooping, less dust. They were actually scared of it when I first put it down.
But it's good to read everything before deciding what is best for your flock, as I am sure there are exceptions to everything. I read the thread (thanks for the additional info on the leftover caffeine content, Ascholten), it's heartbreaking that chicks were lost. I am glad the OP of that thread is getting a necropsy, it's best to find out what really happened if possible. Might be better to raise chicks on a different bedding, but I think if they have a momma she'll teach them what is good to eat. I've seen the ones without a broody try to eat pine shavings, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that they'll try grounds once.

 

[Morgan Leigh]

Some of my chickens ate some grounds on my compost and hooo boy! Wattles and combs bright red and running around like...well like chickens who got their heads chopped off....they stopped after that lol

 

[Pinebox Provisions]

Here is one of the posts I had in mind.

(masa is cooling so I can start forming the tamales)

I hope your tamales came out primo! Thank you for your reply. After much googling and with mixed feelings, we put it down. The girls didn’t want to touch it at first and of course our RIR had to take a small sample to see if she could eat it when they did step on it. The odor is strong, we’ve opened the coop up to try and air it out as much as possible for as long as possible. So far so good but I’ll continue to monitor them closely (via webcam mostly). I haven’t seen anyone else take a taste, yet, luckily.

 

[Pinebox Provisions]

My update: been using grounds from coffee shop for about 2 years, had chicks on it with their momma, no problems. Love it, easy scooping, less dust. They were actually scared of it when I first put it down.
But it's good to read everything before deciding what is best for your flock, as I am sure there are exceptions to everything. I read the thread (thanks for the additional info on the leftover caffeine content, Ascholten), it's heartbreaking that chicks were lost. I am glad the OP of that thread is getting a necropsy, it's best to find out what really happened if possible. Might be better to raise chicks on a different bedding, but I think if they have a momma she'll teach them what is good to eat. I've seen the ones without a broody try to eat pine shavings, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that they'll try grounds once.

I really appreciate your update , thank you kindly

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I hope your tamales came out primo! Thank you for your reply. After much googling and with mixed feelings, we put it down. The girls didn’t want to touch it at first and of course our RIR had to take a small sample to see if she could eat it when they did step on it. The odor is strong, we’ve opened the coop up to try and air it out as much as possible for as long as possible. So far so good but I’ll continue to monitor them closely (via webcam mostly). I haven’t seen anyone else take a taste, yet, luckily.

Goat tamales. Good use of old goat. My masa mix was a little wet, but in the main, I did pretty good for someone with no Spanish, Central American, or South American heritage who first tried the food in the Nation-State of Texas!

Glad its working out for you. Personally, I LOVE the smell of coffee, when I can smell it at all - and have thought about using those bags as mushroom substrate.

 

[Pinebox Provisions]

We’ve made a new bigger coop but still using the grounds in the tray . They still don’t like stepping on it

 

[Nemeth1986]

wouldn't coffee grounds be bad for them if they eat it?

From what I've heard, yes if you're getting it from stores like Starbucks or even you're own at home. You can get the recycled ones from tractor supply. Im told the difference is it's washed of whatever it is that's bad for chickens. I use the tractor supply coffee grounds and all my chickens have been fine. Although, they don't like it actually. They try their best to jump down and get out without touching it. I may have to switch back.

 

[Christine Swar]

Okay so I picked up the Starbucks coffee grounds. I got maybe 1.5 gallons worth of grounds. The grounds used for regular brewed coffee were left in the filter. I composted the filter. They were course grind and looked great. They also threw in the espresso pucks which are a fine grind and, well, in a puck. So I picked those out and tossed them in the compost (I need more browns anyways so it was good). It’s been rainy today, but tomorrow I don’t think I’ll have issues leaving them in the sun to dry on top of a black plastic trash bag.

Tentatively I will say this is a very doable venture! I need a lot more than what they gave me though so I’ll try a daily collection and if it’s not too much to dry and store it I may just start doing it continuously to share with neighbors or tossing extra in the garden.

Why toss the expression pucks?

 

[Ascholten]

Why toss the expression pucks?

the pucks you should just be able to break apart with your hand. They are very finely ground coffee that had steam blown through them essentially, which makes them stick together a bit but otherwise pure coffee (VERY rare you will find me calling sbucks coffee so enjoy !! )

Aaron