Leaves as deep litter in coop

[Shiloh Acres]

I usually use deep litter in my chicken coops. Right now I have dirt floors and a lot of space per bird, but if they stay inside for 2-3 days during heavy rains it can get ammonia smelling.

Wood shavings are costing about 20% more for bales half the size of the ones I used to buy, plus I have a larger coop now. But ... In spite of the goats hoovering them up, I do have LOTS of dry leaves around. They are pretty much all safe goat-food varieties (no oak).

Has anyone ever used leaves as deep litter? I'm guessing they will compost VERY quickly compared to wood shavings, but since I'm expanding the garden in spring I don't mind. Hopefully the wood shavings will fit better into my budget then if need be. May not even be necessary, since earth floors got us through last summer just fine.

What do y'all think? Thanks!

 

[Wifezilla]

Use them IF you shred them first. Well, with chickens they might do that for you With ducks you have to shred them or they just compact them in to a solid mat.

 

[BarredBuff]

Yeah leaves work as bedding.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Straw composts much quicker than shavings.

 

[freemotion]

I use leaves. They do pack down so you have to use a spading fork once in a while or just throw some whole corn down and they will scratch and fluff them up. My girls are not confined, though, only on extremely cold nights. Haven't had that yet, lowest has been in the teens so far, so they shoot out that door at first light. It is great for a clean coop, that's for sure!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I use em cause they're free
I add a few handfuls every other day or so. The new leaves seem to make the chickens want to scratch, so they mix & shred them.

 

[savingdogs]

How do you store them up? I live in a rainy area and haven't found a way to dry and store them but would love to figure it out. I don't have indoor space in a barn or anything.

Where do you store your leaves up?

 

[Wifezilla]

Contractor size trash bag? Covered garbage can?

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Thanks y'all. Leaves it is then, for now at least.

In spring I thought about getting an old round bale cheap to use for garden mulch. There's a very prominent local organic gardener who writes books for our particular area and hay/straw was recommended as one of the very best for mulching/composting. So I may toss some of that in the coop then.

I wish I didn't have to lock my chickens up. I've just lost way too many too predators in just a few months' time, so I lock them up tight at night. They have a large netting-covered run they have access to all day, but it's just not interesting enough for them to use during heavy rains. I do give them an hour or two in the evening while I do chores and open all the interior gates so they can wander all they like then, and they make use of that freedom even during heavy rain since they can get under the rabbit pens, bushes, or whatever.

I am used to totally freeranging. I just can't cover the losses to do that here. Which makes me feel even worse about them choosing to stand around in a damp coop in really bad weather, to the point I can smell them. I'm still hoping of finding another solution. Best I can see so far is if the backyard or pasture turns out to be safer and I build them another coop, but they still might end up in dangerous areas. It's too bad ... I thought my poultry pasture was in a perfect spot with heavy tree cover on the near end and all around the edges, providing what I thought was good cover from hawks. I suspect thought that foxes or raccoons are slipping up and stealing them.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

How do you store them up? I live in a rainy area and haven't found a way to dry and store them but would love to figure it out. I don't have indoor space in a barn or anything.

Where do you store your leaves up?

In the bags they were in when I snatched them off the curb
But then, under the edge of the house where they'll stay mostly dry. Usually any wet ones are at the opening and the very bottom.