What do I do with old pine shavings?

[CrazyForCochins927]

This is my first spring with chickens and my husband and I are going to be cleaning the coop for the first time soon. And I was just curious, what does everyone use the pine shavings for? Do they decompose easily? Do you burn them? Throw them away?

Thanks!!!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Best garden fertilizer ever!!!! Do compost them for a while, but it is black gold!!!!!

 

[chickpeaz]

We just dump ours over a bank into an unused field where they can decompose naturally. If you don't have a good out-of-the-way place to let them rot, you could put them in a compost bin (just make sure you add lots of green matter to help them along) or sack them up for the trash collector, although this would be my last choice. No sense wasting good compost! I would not recommend trying to burn them. I think they'd probably be too wet and they'd just smolder. They smell bad enough as it is -- lighting them just seems like a bad idea.

 

[pat1297]

Put in compost pile or if dont have one I mulch with them. They are valuable for the poop.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Even if you choose not to garden or compost them for flower beds, lawn or trees, I'll bet you've got a friend who would dearly, dearly love to take them off your hands.

 

[aggie9296]

if you don't want to use them in compost or as mulch, could post on Craigslist or Freecycle and someone would probably come take it.

 

[shesaredroan]

Quote:
Don't burn, throw away or give away GOLD!!
What your chickens give you is equal to gold...........Sometimes I compost (if droppings are super fresh).
If droppings are a bit aged, then they go directly into my flowerbeds/ garden.

 

[wannabchick]

Great question, I was wondering ten same thing

And for everyone else?

So I just pile it up somewhere in my are, all the shavings?
And when does one use it?

Another words how long do I let it sit in a pile before I can spread it in my flower beds etc?

Thank u

 

[classicsredone]

Compost, or spread on dormant garden beds from October-February. It adds nutrients and valuable organic material to the soil.

 

[Fred's Hens]

It is potentially quite HOT, meaning, it can burn certain plants. Use caution. If composted and tumbled once in a while, six months will cool it down considerably.

Raw chicken manure cannot be used once your garden is planted. You have to apply it to the garden 30 days ahead of time. During the summer, I just stock pile it for fall, which is THE best time to spread it on the garden. Chicken manure is indeed gold.