coop depth suggestion for deep litter method

[hlhutchinson]

we are planning on getting chickens and i'm going to use the deep litter method. I've been told good result about only cleaning the pen completely out once a year (gives great compost) if I do this how deep should i make the bottom of my coop. I need to know how high i should build my nesting boxes and how high I should place the roosting perches. This way my nesting boxes are not down in the litter and my roosting perches are up off the ground. I'm looking at getting 2-3 chickens and looking at making my coop 4x4 or 4x5 with 2 nesting boxes,they will not be included in that space they will be on the outside of the coop. Any suggesting are welcome

thank you

 

[cavemanrich]

With 2 or 3 chickens you wont have to service your deep litter for very long periods of time. I personally would skip it in the coop and only use it in the run. I don't know how your coop is and how the rest of your set up is. Deep litter in a coop would work best if the coop had a ground earth floor. JMO. If you have a wooden floor, I suspect that the wood may be susceptible to rotting. Build your nest boxes 18 to 24 inches off the floor. Have a good landing area so the chickens jump on and enter or exit the nests. Place your roosting perches about 3 feet of the floor. 2 obvious reasons for that height are.. chickens will jump down from the roosts. They don't climb down. Small floor area means if roosts were higher, chickens would be crashing into walls on jump down.. Second reason is to keep chickens out of drafts. Your ventilation should be concentrated at the top of your coop. Some vents at the bottom also, but not to put chickens into direct effect of wind.
WISHING YOU BEST ASK ALL THAT YOU DON'T KNOW. THERE ARE SOOOO MANY WILLING TO HELP WITH ADVICE....

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

I agree with cavemanrich on the coop. Deep litter is normally from 4-6 inches deep, I start with four and just add more when it seems to be necessary. In the run the chickens scratch and mix it up so it decomposes into compost nicely. In our coop (8' x 8') we have a coating on the floor and 4 inches of straw, this is cleaned out 2 times a year and added to the run litter. We clean out the run once a year (just before we are forecast the first snow) and use that litter in the gardens or around the fruit trees.

 

[hlhutchinson]

I was also liking the deep method due to it should help heat the coop (I live in Wy and it get very cold), for vents i was planning on having them inbetween the rafters on the roof, along with widows that can be close in winter. I was thinking the upper vents should be enough during the winter. what do you think? I was reading about someone who lined the coop with rubberized rood coat product (blackjack #57) do you think if i do this i can do the deep method with out rotting the floor?

 

[cavemanrich]

You can try it and see. Remember that if your floor rots out, then you just replace it. It will last some time before it does rot. Take into consideration that replacing the floor is not going to be a budget breaker. Your coop is small. Do the best you can to keep your coop dry from rain and snow.. Do the best to provide ventilation but avoid exposing your chickens to drafts and wind.

 

[aart]

Deep Litter that actually creates heat (basically a compost pile) would also create a lot of humidity, not good for inside a coop in a cold climate.

Just use a few inches of dry pine shavings, dries up the poops nicely and once a year you put it all in a compost pile water the h3ll out of it to hot compost it.
But I use a roost board and compost night poops that way.

 

[Emma Miriam]

Agreed. If you do real deep litter, you usually start with a 4 inch layer and build up to 12 inches. If you do choose deep litter, make sure you include LOTS of ventilation high up under the eaves of the coop to let the moisture escape.

Do you know what breeds you want? For really big breeds (Orpingtons, Brahmas, Sussex, etc.), you don't want your roosts any higher than 2.5 feet above the litter, since they'll land hard and it can cause abrasion to the foot, which invites infection. Smaller breeds are fine with roosts 3-4 feet high. As for nests, it's great if you can make nesting boxes 16-18 inches above the litter, because that way the floor space underneath the nests is usable.

Hope that helps!

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Our coop floor is painted (with a thick deck paint) OSB with 4 or 5 inches of pine shavings. The roost is approximately 36" above the floor with a ramp. No problems for my big breed hens. There is a poopboard, lined with Sweet PDZ, under the roost that keeps most of the poop off the floor but what does drop is easily dried up in the pine shavings. I haven't needed to clean out the coop yet this year (I do scoop out the poop every or every other day from the poopboard, takes maybe 5 minutes).

The nesting boxes are approximately 18 inces off the floor with a 1 x 4 inch board, 4" up, outside to make it easy for them to access,

Out in the (covered) run there is a much deeper floor of grass clippings, straw, lawn debris and this fall I'll add leaves. It's probably 8 - 10 inches. Planning to change that out in the spring.

There is no odor or flies in the coop or run.

 

[hlhutchinson]

I'm not sure on the breed yet I have a friend in town who has chickens *she has 40 chikens and does not have a small coop like we are going to have) she was going to help me with the breed find one that deals well with cold weather. Thank you everyone for the input has given me some good things to consider with my coop.

 

[hlhutchinson]

is there any one who has used the deep liter method in a 4x6 coop? I'm seeing most deep liter is used in the run or in wak in coops that are big.

Deep Litter that actually creates heat (basically a compost pile) would also create a lot of humidity, not good for inside a coop in a cold climate.

Just use a few inches of dry pine shavings, dries up the poops nicely and once a year you put it all in a compost pile water the h3ll out of it to hot compost it.
But I use a roost board and compost night poops that way.

so with this you don't add shaving, and only clean it out once a year? can only a few inhes of shaving keep up with a years worth of poop with out adding more shavings and not smell? or are you scooping out the poop on a regular babis through out the year?