Fall Chicken-Keeping Checklist
Fall is an ideal time to clean your chicken coop, let your flock forage in finished garden beds, and compost used bedding with manure and dry leaves.
- Remove diseased or chemically treated garden material.
- Let chickens forage in finished, protected garden areas.
- Deep-clean and inspect the coop.
- Check ventilation, drafts, leaks, and pest entry points.
- Combine manure and bedding with dry fall materials.
- Compost fully before returning the material to food-growing beds.
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Can you feel it? Fall is in the air.
The days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler, kids are back in school, and the leaves are just beginning to turn. And, of course, pumpkin-flavored everything has arrived on store shelves.
For backyard chicken keepers, gardeners, and homesteaders, fall is more than a change in the weather. It is a season of harvest, preparation, and transition. The garden is winding down. The flock is preparing for colder weather. And the coop gets its annual deep clean before winter settles in.
But fall is also a good time to step back and appreciate something that is easy to forget in our increasingly convenient, disposable world: nature doesn’t really do waste.
A fallen leaf becomes nutrients for the soil. Plant matter breaks down and feeds new growth. Chickens turn garden leftovers into manure. Hemp bedding and manure become compost that eventually makes its way back into the garden.
It is a cycle of growth, decay, and renewal, and your backyard can be part of it.
1. Fall Cleanup Starts the Cycle
To get started, think about what you can reuse, compost, feed to your flock, or simply leave in place.
The goal isn’t necessarily a perfectly tidy backyard. In fact, leaving some healthy plant material, fallen leaves, and seed heads in place can provide habitat and protection for wildlife while adding organic matter to the soil.
Your garden, chicken coop, and compost pile can work together as a small backyard ecosystem, with each one contributing something to the next.
2. Let the Chickens Help With Fall Cleanup
If you have a garden area that’s done producing for the year, letting your flock forage there can provide enrichment while helping tidy up. Chickens love to scratch through garden beds in search of insects, seeds, and other tasty discoveries. They’ll investigate leftover plant material and turn over the top layer of soil as they forage.
But remember: chickens are enthusiastic gardeners, not careful landscapers, so fencing off areas you want to protect is a good idea. Also remember to consider proper chicken nutrition. Avoid giving chickens moldy or spoiled food, plants that may be toxic to them, or anything that has been treated with chemicals that aren’t safe for poultry.
Toxic plants for chickens include members of the nightshade family, including green potatoes and potato peels, green tomatoes and tomato leaves or stems, and eggplant and pepper greens.
Fall Molting and Nutrition
Fall brings another important change for your flock: the molt. As chickens lose their old feathers and grow new ones, their nutritional needs can change. A diet consisting of their balanced feed and no more than 10% treats, including garden scraps, is particularly important during this energy-intensive period.
At the same time, shorter days naturally mean egg production may slow down. That’s not a problem. It’s just part of the seasonal rhythm of keeping chickens.
3. Clean Out the Coop
Fall is the perfect time for a thorough coop reset.
Start by removing old bedding, droppings, and nesting material. Give roosts, walls, floors, and nesting boxes a good cleaning with warm water and a mild, poultry-safe cleaner. Then let everything dry completely before adding fresh bedding.
While you’re cleaning, take the opportunity to inspect the coop itself.
Fall Coop Inspection Checklist
- Loose nails, splintered wood, or damaged roosts
- Leaks or areas where water can get inside
- Gaps that could allow rodents or other pests to enter
- Drafts at chicken level
- Adequate ventilation higher up in the coop
- Dirty or damaged feeders and waterers
Winterizing a chicken coop isn’t about sealing it up tight. Chickens need protection from air drafts, but they also need good ventilation to remove moisture and ammonia from the coop.
Pssst. Need a coop upgrade? RentACoop has you covered.
And don’t forget the run. Fall rain can quickly turn bare ground into mud. Adding dry leaves, hay, wood chips, or other appropriate ground cover can help manage moisture while giving your chickens another place to scratch and forage.
4. Turn Coop Waste Into Garden Gold
Now for the part that really brings the whole system together.
That pile of used chicken hemp bedding you’re hauling out of the coop? It doesn’t necessarily belong in the trash.
Chicken manure is rich in nitrogen, while many bedding materials, along with dry leaves and other plant material, provide carbon. Together, they can become valuable ingredients for a compost pile.
This is one of the simplest examples of a backyard circular system:
- The garden produces plant material.
- The chickens produce manure.
- The coop produces used bedding.
- The compost pile brings them together.
- Eventually, the garden gets the finished compost back.
If you use hemp bedding in your coop, the used bedding can become part of that compost mix, too.
The important word here is compost. Fresh chicken manure shouldn’t be applied directly to food crops because it can contain pathogens and can be too strong for plants. Give manure and bedding time to break down properly before incorporating the finished compost into your garden.
Read our how-to blog on the deep litter method for detailed instructions on turning used hemp bedding into compost.
5. Build Your Fall Compost Pile
You’ve got fallen leaves, spent plants, garden trimmings, and possibly a fresh supply of used chicken bedding and manure.
The basic idea is to balance carbon-rich materials, often called “browns,” with nitrogen-rich materials, or “greens.”
Browns Can Include
- Dry leaves
- Hemp or other appropriate bedding
- Dry plant material
- Small twigs and other woody material
Greens Can Include
- Fresh plant material
- Grass clippings
- Vegetable scraps
- Chicken manure
Add moisture, enough so the material feels like a wrung-out sponge, allow plenty of airflow, and give the pile time to do its thing.
Turning the pile periodically, especially if you notice an unpleasant odor, can help introduce oxygen and encourage decomposition.
Finished compost looks dark and crumbly without obvious pieces of the original materials and smells earthy, like a forest floor after a rain.
But remember, composting isn’t an overnight process. Like we mentioned at the beginning of this blog, Mother Nature has her own timetable.
6. Close the Loop in Spring
Eventually, all that fall cleanup starts to look a lot less like waste.
The leaves, garden debris, used bedding, and chicken manure can break down into finished compost that helps return organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
Then, when spring arrives, the cycle begins again.
What Doesn’t Belong in the Cycle?
Not everything should go into your compost pile or chicken run.
Keep these out of the cycle:
- Diseased plants
- Invasive or troublesome weeds that may spread through seeds or roots
- Moldy or spoiled foods that aren’t appropriate for chickens or compost
- Chemically treated materials
- Pet waste
- Fresh chicken manure directly on food-growing beds
When in doubt, check whether a particular material is safe for chickens and appropriate for composting before adding it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can chickens eat garden scraps in the fall?
Yes, chickens can eat many garden scraps as an occasional treat. Fresh vegetables, leafy greens, and some fruits can provide variety and enrichment. Garden scraps and other treats should make up no more than about 10% of a chicken’s diet, with a complete, balanced chicken feed providing the majority of their nutrition. Never feed chickens moldy or spoiled food, toxic plants, or chemically treated plants.
Can chickens help clean up the garden in the fall?
Yes. Chickens can help clean up a finished garden by scratching through soil, eating insects and seeds, and picking through leftover plant material. However, chickens are enthusiastic foragers and can also dig up plants and disturb soil, so keep them out of garden beds you want to protect for next season.
Should I clean my chicken coop before winter?
Yes, fall is a good time to deep clean and inspect your chicken coop before winter. Remove soiled bedding and nesting material, clean roosts and surfaces, wash feeders and waterers, and check for leaks, damage, pests, and drafts. Starting with a clean, dry coop can help keep your flock comfortable as temperatures drop.
How do you prepare a chicken coop for winter?
To prepare a chicken coop for winter, clean out soiled bedding, check for leaks and damage, protect chickens from direct drafts, and make sure the coop has adequate ventilation. Don’t completely seal the coop. Ventilation helps remove moisture and ammonia, which can build up when the flock spends more time indoors.
Can chicken bedding and manure be composted?
Yes. Chicken manure and used chicken bedding can be composted together. Chicken manure provides nitrogen, while many bedding materials provide carbon. Adding other carbon-rich materials, such as dry leaves, can help create a balanced compost pile. Compost the mixture thoroughly before using it around food crops.
Can you put fresh chicken manure directly on a garden?
No. Fresh chicken manure should generally be composted before being used in a garden, especially around food crops. Fresh manure can contain pathogens and has a high nitrogen content that can damage plants. Composting allows the manure and bedding to break down before the finished compost is added to garden soil.
Is hemp chicken bedding compostable?
Yes, hemp chicken bedding can be composted. Used hemp bedding mixed with chicken manure provides a combination of carbon and nitrogen for the compost pile. Add it to your compost along with other appropriate materials, allow it to fully break down, and then use the finished compost as a soil amendment.
What should I put in a fall compost pile?
A fall compost pile can include dry leaves, healthy garden debris, dry plant material, used chicken bedding, chicken manure, and other appropriate compostable materials. Aim for a mixture of carbon-rich “browns” and nitrogen-rich “greens,” and maintain adequate moisture and airflow to support decomposition.
How long does chicken manure take to compost?
Chicken manure does not have one fixed composting time. How quickly it breaks down depends on the materials in the pile, moisture, temperature, airflow, and how the compost is managed. Wait until the manure and bedding have fully decomposed before using the finished compost in your garden. Compost is ready when it looks like dark, crumbly soil, smells earthy like a forest floor, and has no recognizable food scraps or original materials.
What should you not put in chicken compost?
Do not add pet waste, chemically treated materials, diseased plants, or invasive weeds that could survive the composting process. Avoid adding anything that could introduce pathogens or harmful chemicals into your finished compost. Fresh chicken manure should also be composted rather than applied directly to food-growing areas.
Do chickens need special care in the fall?
Yes. Fall brings shorter days, cooler temperatures, and often the annual molt. Chickens may eat differently and lay fewer eggs as daylight decreases. During the molt, provide a complete, balanced diet with adequate protein, and make sure the coop remains dry, well ventilated, and protected from direct drafts.
Why do chickens lay fewer eggs in the fall?
Chickens often lay fewer eggs in the fall because daylight hours decrease. Shorter days naturally affect the hormones that regulate egg production, so many hens slow down or stop laying during the fall and winter. This seasonal change is a normal part of a chicken’s natural reproductive cycle.
