Deep litter method

[Arielle]

Quote: never trusted this method lol guess i have an experiment to do!!

 

[ChickenPapaCT]

never trusted this method lol guess i have an experiment to do!!

I was going to experiment with it, but the only way I can find to make an egg rotten is to leave it in the sun for a few weeks. I don't think my dogs (or other neighborhood animals) would let them get that bad... I don't know - maybe I will try with 4 eggs... I'll put one per week outside in the sun. By the 4th week I should have a set of 4 pretty "iffy" eggs. I'll compare them to a fresh and a store-bought.

 

[emmajane07]

Hi everyone! I am looking for suggestions on coop flooring and am considering the deep litter method. Although, I need to read this whole thread to get how it works. I currently have two ducks with three more on the way as well as 6 chicks. There coop is on concrete, which is great to clean but once the water gets to the grass the ducks goes crazy in it which then turns into mud, so I'm trying to avoid that mess. Should I do deep litter, sand, pebbles....? Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!

 

[goodb]

I can't say specifically without seeing your situation but my experience has been amazing. I began with wood chips last fall and then progressed to deep litter with wood shavings as winter neared. 18 birds spent most of the winter in the coop and this spring I noticed that my coop had a peculiar odor that reminded me of cinammon. 16/16 chicks were successfully brooded on it this spring and now it is nearly time to clean it out and prepare for this years' buildup.

I've heard that some have done deep litter on a concrete or wood floor with the only drawback I know of being that the worms wouldn't be able to come up into it. I can speak only from my experience which is wood shavings on the ground. The keys I've found are:

Build up gradually - let the first layer get ripe before you add.
Start with 4-6 inches of wood shavings
turn frequently until the birds start doing it.
when adding a layer, dump in the middle of the coop and let the birds spread it.
toss in treats for them to dig for
keep dry, spilled water or rain WILL cause the awful ammonia smell
once you get to about 10-12 inches you'll begin to notice heat being generated. Not a lot but some to help heat the coop.

This list is not complete but with wood shavings, you can't go wrong.

Have fun

 

[emmajane07]

Thanks @goodb. The ammonia smell worries me a bit. I keep reading controversial things about adding DE And not adding it! So, more reading it is. Thanks again for your thoughts! I will more than likely go with shavings!

 

[Blooie]

My experience mirrors goodb's exactly. I'm so glad that I went with DL...I use it in both the coop and the run. Had a horrible time with a strong ammonia smell when my daughter-in-law set up the watering tractor and didn't monitor it. It jumped the track and came to rest against the run - for hours. Do I have to tell you how bad the litter, food, and dust bath container were? Soaked!! UGH! But I just took out some of the shavings, turned it all over, and added some more dry fresh shavings. It took a few days for the wind and sun to dry out the litter while I turned it a few times a day, but within a very short time the entire DL system corrected itself and I've had no problems with it since. Oh, and my daughter-in-law no longer waters the lawn when we're out of town!

I don't use DE in my shavings. I have dirt floors in both run and coop, and I want the little critters living in the ground to come out and do their compost-assistance thing. So I don't want to kill the very organisms that are so vital to the success of the deep litter.

 

[emmajane07]

Thank you! I am a bit hesitant because I have ducks, their stool is never formed due to their large consumption of water. But, in my head I think the DC method will still work as long as I keep turning it.

 

[Latestarter]

If you're concerned about the moisture, it is NOT DE that you want to be using... DE is used to kill mites and other small insect pests. It is hazardous to your health as well as the birds IMHO. What you want is sweet PDZ. That absorbs moisture and is commonly used with horses. With deep litter, you WANT the bugs and insects as well as worms and such. They are what keep it all working and give you perfect soil after a time. The DE will kill the very things that deep litter is promoting. If you are on concrete, have no fear, the worms WILL find a way in Have you ever looked at the sidewalk after a heavy rain? Especially in the evening? Good luck!

 

[emmajane07]

Yes, thank you! The PDZ is what I think I was meaning to refer to!

 

[Blooie]

Also I should have added this: I don't rely just on pine shavings, although that is my "base" litter. Weeds, a shovel or two full of dirt, leaves, grass clippings - all of those things added to the litter help the composting process along and the birds love digging around in the new additions to the litter. They do a much better job of mixing it all in than I would do, too. Pine shavings just by themselves are pretty slow to break down, but the addition of other things speeds it up a little bit, besides making it more interesting for the girls.