Using DLM in garden without composting

[Harley Chick]

I have had our girls for a year now. I'm removing about 80% of the DLM in their run and have no idea what to do with it? We don't have a compost bin so i'm just piling it next to the burn pit for now. The material on the top of the litter is dry and fluffy, can I use it as a mulch on my garden plot or around trees as a mulch? The damp litter that is under is going in the pile. We really don't have a spot for a compost bin large enough to handle all of what i'm removing. What to do?

 

[Acre4Me]

If you have pieces of pine shavings or bark that are not really broken down, then I would not put them in your growing garden, until they are more decomposed. It can take some time for the wood to break down and will not be beneficial until broken down. Also, chicken poop is "hot" and can burn plants if it has not aged some and broken down a bit.

If you rotate your garden usage or raised beds, you could leave one unplanted, but add the DLM to it and mix it in, and let it age in the ground.

You could burn some or all of it and use the ashes for the chicken's favorite dust bathing spot or use it in the garden. Ashes can be a good soil amendment.