We where new to raising chickens ten years ago in Northern Virginia. I went to the feed store to buy pine shavings for the "deep litter" method to line the coop floors. They were sold out. An old time chicken raiser from the Shenandoah Valley named Wes said, "Y'all got any leaves on your place?" and a new practice was born!
Living back in the mist of several acres of mature oaks. Leaves are not a problem to obtain, and Free. We rake them and scoop them up in tarps. Load both the runs and interiors of the coops with the excess. It keeps the smell of the manure down and keeps the runs dryer during wet weather.
Then in the Spring when yard cleaning begins again the compost is removed from the coops and runs. And the stuff is better than any potting soil by any name we have ever bought. I planted the box pictured above on April 5th with gladiolus (supposed to deter deer) and sunflowers (to feed back to the chickens). The below picture was taken today.
By the way it makes for great Maters too! Pics to come if anyone else posts what they do with poo.
