BackYardChickens Forum

Sister idiot 2 here

I'm using DLM on a concrete floor and am only up to about 5 inches, but I think it's working great so far. I sprinkle with DE, turn things over every few days and add fresh pine shavings once a week or so and it stays dry and odor free. I actually wonder if it's TOO dry sometimes. I'm a newbie to chickens (my girls are 15 weeks this week) and read about the DLM and thought YAY! Never read anywhere that the floor needed to be dirt though. Hmmmm.....

Hey, what is DLM?  I have a dirt floor in the runs, but wood in the nesting house and roosting house.  Should I be using something on the dirt floors?  I have been just raking it up and around.     

Just figured it out, duh, I'm not blond.   

Last edited by texaschickmama (10/11/2007 2:20 pm)

I use the DLM as well.

My barn was built in 1915 and is all wood construction. Can you believe the floors are tongue-n-groove hardwood? The man who built our house also had a store, was the postmaster and was the train depot stop. The poultry barn was built for his commercial interest in providing chickens and eggs.  Each room of the barn will house alot of  birds. The rooms are about 25 x 25 with 12 ft sloping ceiling with built in roosts, nesting boxes, feeders, pophole doors, etc. My main flock is housed in one room. The litter is at least a foot thick. I have really built it up over the summer with hay and pine bedding to insulate in the winter. I sprinkle liberally with DE. About once a week I go in with a pitch fork and stir it up and turn it over. You can't even tell they poop in it.

I am very pleased. At this rate I think it will only need a good cleanout once per year.

I don't worry about the wood. It doesn't show much wear and tear at all. The way the barn is built I have to believe the DLM was also used by the builder of the barn.

I've not heard of DLM - will do some research on it, I guess.  I can't imagine WHERE the poop goes, though?  How could it just disappear?  I would think it would difficult for them to move around in pine shavings that deep...I guess they must not "sink" in it.  Very interesting.