# using leaves for bedding in chicken coop



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Any body do it? Would you shred them first?....James


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## Roboat (Aug 24, 2008)

weve used them once in awhile...shred them first for sure! they dont absorb much so the coop needs to be cleaned more often but they work fairly well.


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## Firefly (Dec 7, 2005)

I'm doing it now. I shredded them with the lawn mower, using the bagger which made clearing up leaves SO much easier than raking! When everything got too thick I put it in the garden to prep for spring. The birds seem happy with them but they're so fluffy sometimes eggs are hidden, which is a problem with ducks b/c they lay them all around the floor.


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

if not shredded, they will just sit there and make a big mess. manure will build up on top, the hens wont scratch them around to enuff to keep them well mixeed.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

I've given up on everything that isn't either the bagged paper bedding or pine shavings. The paper bedding ISN'T shreds, but little chunks of phone book material. Both it and the pine shavings work KINDA like kitty litter - clumps around the poo and moves well, so hens will scratch in it and actually keep the coop much cleaner because of it. I've tried straw, hay, regular paper SHREDS, and leaves. Hated all of it.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I used my old lawn mower and bagger, put the leaves in one of my covered compost bins. Mostly maple leaves. They are very dry. I clean under the roost once a month or so depending on how wet it gets. I push the coop bedding under the roost and rebed the rest of the coop. I used half shredded straw and half leaves this time, just wondered how plain leaves would work. Normally I don't need a lot of absorption. They didn't work as well for goat bedding as I thought, even mixed half and half with straw. Oh well they will make compost....James


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## suelandress (May 10, 2002)

I use shredded leaves inside my coop, along with hay, straw, chopped wild barley and millet weed. In the outside covered run, i use the leaves whole, as they tend to keep some of the ground from freezing so the girls can scratch.


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

mygoat said:


> I've given up on everything that isn't either the bagged paper bedding or pine shavings. The paper bedding ISN'T shreds, but little chunks of phone book material. Both it and the pine shavings work KINDA like kitty litter - clumps around the poo and moves well, so hens will scratch in it and actually keep the coop much cleaner because of it. I've tried straw, hay, regular paper SHREDS, and leaves. Hated all of it.



where do you get this shredded phone book material?


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

Seems to me when we tried leaves, years ago, they were too slick. Maybe shredding would have helped.

I don't use litter now, but I live in the South. I need to see where I'm putting my feet. (Snakes hide under litter.)


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Dead Rabbit said:


> where do you get this shredded phone book material?


I've had to find a local dealer. She's a woman who goes to horse shows all the time and has a booth on the side with equipment. She's just a dealer... I THINK it's a national brand though so perhaps you could get it as well. I'm REALLY loving it, though. Better than shavings, IMO.


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## brownegg (Jan 5, 2006)

I just simply rake the dry leaves onto a tarp and place them in the coop. My hens have them shreaded and turned into free bedding in a couple days. They have 10 sq ft each, and still get the job done. Keep it simple and give the girls something to do when not free ranging.
brownegg


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

We have several pine trees on our property so I've always used pine needles.


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## AnnieinBC (Mar 23, 2007)

I wouldn't have thought the leaves would need shredding before they went in the coop. I figured the hens would do that themselves?


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## suelandress (May 10, 2002)

We shred because we have 99.5% Oak leaves....they are big, leathery and slick when wet. Maple, birch and such get nice and crisp when they are dry. Oak is different.


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## Firefly (Dec 7, 2005)

Bumping because the shredded leaves aren't working so well...

Started a new thread, waterfowl bedding.


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

I don't think hay is going to be terribly much better than the leaves. I'd go with the shavings.


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## cybercat (Mar 29, 2005)

I use wood chips with straw and leaves. Works well. I turn litter in coop once a week. My chickens only sleep in coop and free range all day. Litter in nice and deep over six inches for winter to help keep coop warm. I do not let them out till about 10 am so they scratch round in litter till them looking for bugs or seed or leftover feed.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

I've done it in the past, but like others have said, they don't absorb much.

I don't know if it's an option with your coop design, but I have a poop-catcher box under my roost. This catches all of the nighttime poop so the floor stays much drier. This way, I'm able to use the space under the roost to hang the feeder and waterer. The roosts lift off for easy cleaning (I use a dust pan and put the poo and shavings into an old feed bag and take it directly out to something that needs some fertilizer or to the compost pile). My chickens have been roosting since sometime in July (they hatched in April) and I haven't had to clean anything but the roost box (I do that every week or two).


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I have been using them mixed with a little shredded hay, works good here. I put them on one end of the coop and they work it across the coop and under the roost. I have a 1' high x 4' wide flip up door at floor level in the end of the coop and use a garden rake to pull them out every 2 weeks. What is left is pretty small and mixed with manure by then, goes straight to the composter. Seems to work well. I try to use what I have and adjust my practices to make it work. I am thrifty. I think this winter, besides wheat for sprouting, spices, rabbit pellets and cracked oat screenings I am able to raise what I need on this one acre and gleaning from the surrounding forest. Very rewarding....James


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## suelandress (May 10, 2002)

I don't think I'd use leaves with ducks and geese. they are just too messy.


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## Firefly (Dec 7, 2005)

jwal10 said:


> I have been using them mixed with a little shredded hay, works good here. I put them on one end of the coop and they work it across the coop and under the roost. I have a 1' high x 4' wide flip up door at floor level in the end of the coop and use a garden rake to pull them out every 2 weeks. What is left is pretty small and mixed with manure by then, goes straight to the composter. Seems to work well. I try to use what I have and adjust my practices to make it work. I am thrifty. I think this winter, besides wheat for sprouting, spices, rabbit pellets and cracked oat screenings I am able to raise what I need on this one acre and gleaning from the surrounding forest. Very rewarding....James


James, I have to assume you're talking about chickens. I can't see my ducks working anything across the coop But I'm very impressed that you can feed yourself almost entirely from one acre of land! I'm not much of a gardener. What do you glean from the forest?


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

When I can get them I keep bags of dry MAPLE leaves to freshen the coops in the winter...smells heavenly and they are free.

When I collect with the mower(grass too) then this shredded "chop" goes in all the pens for the birds to dig thru.

I can see where large glossy leaves could be a problem but I don't have those so use all the leaves I can get. bee


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## brownegg (Jan 5, 2006)

While I have to agree that the key to using leaves for bedding is that need to be DRY...I also don't agree that they aren't absorbant...if they are dry, they shred, and create a environment that is even good enough dusting. I also think that mixing shavings and straw works well. Keep it fun, simple and cost effective. I also use dry pine needles. Again, the key word is DRY!
brownegg


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