 |
11/30/07, 02:52 PM
|
 |
Very Dairy
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dysfunction Junction
Posts: 14,603
|
|
|
Using dry leaves as bedding?!
Usually I put sawdust in my cows' lean-to, but the loader tractor at the mill is broken down this week, I can't my truck back to the pile due to the mud, and straw is expensive here!
Today, I mucked out their shed down to the bare dirt floor, then raked a bunch of leaves into a tarp and dumped them in there!
I figure they'll be at least as comfy to lay on as straw, and best of all, they're FREE! 
I have lots of leaves in my yard. If it doesn't rain or snow, I could keep doing this for quite awhile! And I'm raking my yard at the same time ... wow!
Anyone else do this? Any drawbacks?!
__________________
"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.
|
11/30/07, 03:01 PM
|
 |
Metal melter
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Jeromesville, Ohio (northcentral)
Posts: 7,152
|
|
|
We use leaves for the chicken run every fall. However, we are lazy and mulch the leaves in our yard. To get the 20 or so bags of leaves we use for the chickens, we pick them up from people who have done the raking and bagging for us!
Come Spring, I'll use my little Mantis tiller to run through the chicken run...then I'll put all of that lovely goodness on the compost pile or directly in the garden.
|
11/30/07, 03:01 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: northcentral MN
Posts: 14,383
|
|
|
The only thing I can see is that leaves pack down pretty quick and even quicker if they get the least bit damp.
If you can get them I would think dried cattails would make great bedding because they have a sponge structure inside the leaves.
__________________
"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" Hobbs
"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin
|
11/30/07, 03:08 PM
|
|
Very Dairy
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dysfunction Junction
Posts: 14,603
|
|
No cattails here, I'm afraid ... I'm up in the hills!
Generally, I rake/shovel/fork their stall down to packed dirt every day, so I don't foresee a problem with the leaves packing down ... they won't be any harder to get outta there than dirty straw! (Which is a real pain, AFAIC!)
and yes I will have loads (literally!) of lovely compost, come spring... 
__________________
"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.
|
11/30/07, 03:24 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: northcentral MN
Posts: 14,383
|
|
|
Every day!
__________________
"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" Hobbs
"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin
|
11/30/07, 03:44 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,240
|
|
|
What's the matter fishhead, you think she has "spoiled" cows?!? Anyway, willow_girl will have lots of help with the cows once Elfie comes to her place!
And willow_girl, it seems that a storm is brewing for Sunday. I'm quite sure it's Elfie's fault, so he must have more use of me before he comes to you. (We will see how things progress, but I'm still hoping to be rid of him on Sunday, but Elfie may be against it.)
__________________
Michael W. Smith in North-West Pennsylvania
"Everything happens for a reason."
|
11/30/07, 04:16 PM
|
|
Joy
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Middle TN
Posts: 2,519
|
|
|
We use dry leaves as bedding in the chicken coop instead of hay/straw. Never had a problem with it, and it helps balance the nitrogen-heavy chicken manure when we put it all in the compost pile.
-Joy
__________________
-Joy
________
The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Thomas A. Edison
|
11/30/07, 04:22 PM
|
|
keep it simple and honest
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: NE PA
Posts: 2,362
|
|
|
I use leaves to insulate...just put 9 bags around a faucet on the outside of the house. The faucet leaks so I pulled all the damp insulation out of the wall. The bags will keep the pipe from freezing until I get it fixed and re-insulated.
|
11/30/07, 05:02 PM
|
|
Very Dairy
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dysfunction Junction
Posts: 14,603
|
|
Well, yeah!
Did I mention they are my darling girls?
LOL
Michael, I hadn't heard a storm was brewing ... 
If it looks like we need to reschedule, just LMK, OK?
__________________
"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:50 PM.
|
|
