Why Do You Use Deep Bedding/Why Do You NOT Use Deep Bedding?

[bhawk-23]

We don't have experience per se, but we put the pine shavings compost directly on to our acid loving plants (blueberries!) and the hemp, which doesn't appear to have the same acidity around the others. The girls scratch and disperse it for us and it breaks down quite quickly. The only issue with dumping bedding straight into the garden is just having an understanding of the make up of your bedding and which plants can tolerate it.

We have an extremely low spot in the back corner which holds standing water. What we have done is plant natives to hopefully help soak it up but we are dumping all the leaves raked and bedding from the chickens and it's building up nicely. The chickens break it down so well that we can always add more when the time comes. It's a perfect way to help fix our yard and the chickens love it!

 

[bhawk-23]

No, DB doesn't compost and can't be used as compost straight away. It needs to go somewhere else after being cleaned out, and given proper conditions and adequate time for composting. With mine, I bury it in my garden in the fall, and it composts there. I don't plant anything there for another 8-9 months, so it has plenty of time to break down.

As for DLM bedding, it really depends on how well it has composted, which depends on the conditions and how long it's been there. But even then, I wouldn't use it straight out of the coop, because it won't be uniformly composted. The layer at the bottom that has been there the longest will be further along. But the top layer will still have fresh poop on it. Even if it's stirred, and mixed more uniformly, it will still have fresher poop mixed in with it, from whatever was pooped recently, and won't be completely ready. For the sake of the plants, and my own health (from touching and tending to the soil/garden), I wouldn't put it straight in the garden during the growing season.

You have a great point! I should add we don't have a "garden" that gets planted yearly. Ours goes around trees, bushes and flowers. We are not working in the dirt. Any dispersement is done with a rake or chickens. And it is not touching any of the fruit or edible parts. We don't add it to the strawberry patch nor the asparagus because that is more of a garden that we are in for picking and weeding.

 

[K0k0shka]

You have a great point! I should add we don't have a "garden" that gets planted yearly. Ours goes around trees, bushes and flowers. We are not working in the dirt. Any dispersement is done with a rake or chickens. And it is not touching any of the fruit or edible parts. We don't add it to the strawberry patch nor the asparagus because that is more of a garden that we are in for picking and weeding.

If you don't touch it, then it's all up to the plants whether they'll be able to tolerate fresh poop and the burst of nitrogen... That really depends on the plants themselves. But if it's spread out and not too concentrated, my guess is that it's probably going to be fine.

 

[bhawk-23]

If you don't touch it, then it's all up to the plants whether they'll be able to tolerate fresh poop and the burst of nitrogen... That really depends on the plants themselves. But if it's spread out and not too concentrated, my guess is that it's probably going to be fine.

It has only been 1 growing season so I guess we will see it the plants come back?? Hahahaha

 

[K0k0shka]

It has only been 1 growing season so I guess we will see it the plants come back?? Hahahaha

Haha I hope they do! If they are random native plants, they probably will. I have a forsythia bush in my chicken run, and a linden tree and a maple tree immediately next to it (with roots under the run), and they are totally fine with all the fresh poop that gets pooped in the run all year round.

 

[aart]

With mine, I bury it in my garden in the fall, and it composts there. I don't plant anything there for another 8-9 months, so it has plenty of time to break down.

Do you check that the wood shavings have fully broken down before planting?
Wood in the soil can be a 'nitrogen stealer', depriving plants of nitrogen.

 

[K0k0shka]

Do you check that the wood shavings have fully broken down before planting?
Wood in the soil can be a 'nitrogen stealer', depriving plants of nitrogen.

I've read that nitrogen helps the pine shavings break down faster, so I'm hoping the poop that's mixed in with them will help with that. I'll also keep an eye on acidity, as pine is acidic. I'll check the pH and the state of the shavings before I plant (this is my first winter burying shavings - previous years I've buried other plant matter to be composted, like dry leaves, the garden plants after harvesting, even paper/cardboard).

 

[BDutch]

Why not compost the cardboard too? If it's three typical brown corrugated stuff, it breaks down quickly. There is some glue in it, but nothing too concerning IMO.

Most cardboard is from 6 packs of wine . The size is almost perfect after unfolding. It has some ink and glue. And nowadays a lot of cardboard is recycled, and may even contain plastics. Enough reasons for me not to want the cardboard of these wine boxes in my garden.

The municipality where I live collects a container with residual waste every 3 weeks. After taking out metals and other valuable waste, the residues are burned for electricity production (as far as possible).

 

[K0k0shka]

After taking out metals and other valuable waste, the residues are burned for electricity production (as far as possible).

I love (and miss) Europe

 

[CreveChris]

In the brooder, we use organic industrial hemp sifted and stirred as needed for 6 weeks at a time, mixed with First Saturday Lime (sprinkled on hemp and used as a dust bath). We use natural Florida sand in the coop and run. Shavings are a great place for parasites to hide, imo.