Using leaves as litter?

[trulyviolet]

i use leaves in my duck pens
(when the new one goes up i will use pellets in the coop part and decide between the two for the run)

the ducks love them
my one duck that died would work over a pile of leaves so thoughly that in a few hours it was broken down enough to use it in the garden

i haven't put them under the chickens as i use pellets for the hens ( got shavings for the new baby orps in the brooder)

i can tell you the ducks LOVE the leaves

i think they also tend to dry out pretty fast after rains and that
and the part that doesn't dry attracts bugs which is what the ducks are going for

vi

 

[Brick243]

I used my mulching lawnmower with bag today, and put the mulched leaves in coops and hutches. It was about the same as wood chips in texture.

 

[willheveland]

I don't use leaves inside but they work great outside in pens.Then when they are done in the spring,dig them out and put on your garden.If you got a nice dry spot to store them,get all you can use.
In my chicken tractors for meat birds,I've been putting down 1/2 bag of leaves each day.It seems to keep them warmer too.(because they sleep on the ground)I usually move these each day,but in wet cold weather I'll leave in one spot and add dry leaves. Will

 

[freemotion]

Leaves are great if you like to use the resulting compost on your gardens. They break down quickly, for some a plus, for some a drawback. They are free!!!! The best reason, even if you take them all out in a few weeks, you had free bedding for a while!