Managing wood shavings in the run

[nybeaker2002]

Hello. I have 12 chicks that are about 8 weeks old. I have a question about cleaning out the coop. I currently use pine shavings on top of the wood floor in my coop. On a weekly basis I clean out the coop and scrape all the wood shaving and the manure and spread this outside in the run.

Will the run act like a compost? The chicks are constantly outside pushing the shavings around and the rain will help wash the manure from the shavings. Is there anything wrong with this process?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

The shavings will decompose and create an odor. Especially on rainy days. Pine breaks down slowly.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Go with deep litter in the run. Mix other organic materials (wood chips, dry leaves, grass clippings, garden clippings, etc) in the run along with the shavings and the resulting litter should slowly break down into nice compost over time.

 

[nybeaker2002]

Go with deep litter in the run. Mix other organic materials (wood chips, dry leaves, grass clippings, garden clippings, etc) in the run along with the shavings and the resulting litter should slowly break down into nice compost over time.

Awesome.. I will definitely put grass clippings, leaves and other garden clippings into the run.

 

[RUNuts]

Pine shavings will stick together and mat. Add some course stuff to let air flow. Chickens stirring it up will help. I'm using wood chips. I had a smell issue. Add more wood chips to soak up the mess. Much better now.

Used pine shavings in the brooder and after a year, still had mats in the compost pile. Stirred it up and mixed in some chips and they disappeared. Worked great!

If it stinks, add more carbon. Leaves, chips, cardboard boxes, junk mail. It's all good.

 

[Mrs. K]

If mine matts down, I just pitch it up in a mini haystack. Lets things dry out underneath, and the chickens re spread it around.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'd make a shavings pile for compost. If you had two bins made of wood pallets (I have three) you could cycle back and forth. Till it up once and a while so it composts faster. Add kitchen compost and whatever. Till one and compost as your filling other. Use the compost in garden or flower beds and start filling that first bin as your tilling the second. Back and forth and endless supply of garden additives.

Once a week is rather frequent cleaning. Shoveling out what is directly under the roosts once a week is good but I leave entire coop liter replacement for every 1.5-ish months.

 

[chickens really]

I use sand in my Run and rake it out as needed. They Dust bath and it has no stink.