Deep litter method

[themamadus]

I'm just exploring the idea of raising some chickens in my backyard after checking out the local ordinances and finding out its fine as long as I avoid any noxious odors... lol so I've read all 32 pages of this topic and have learned soooo much! and for the next person who comes along... DE means diatomecious earth (food grade only ) lol! See... I told you I learned a lot in the last few hours!!! thanks for the all the info... this sounds like a great group with folks who are very willing to help newbies.

MO

 

[pysankigirl]

So can you use other types of wood shavings like oak and walnut?
we have a woodshop but don't use alot of pine.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes, you can.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

So can you use other types of wood shavings like oak and walnut?
we have a woodshop but don't use alot of pine.

Yes, they'll just take a little longer to compost. If you are going to use walnut it will need to be well composted before spreading it in the garden as it contains toxins that some plants are sensitive to. The composting process will break down the toxins.

 

[jtrew77]

As active duty military, we're only at the dreaming stage of our future coop (i.e. we have no experience). Here's my question: if a flock is pastured for most of their food and if we wanted to add homegrown grain to the diet and if we wanted to utilize the deep litter method, could we just cut the full grown grain stalks and throw it into the coop? The chickens would remove the grain (instead of me) and then the leftover straw would remain as bedding?

Thanks!

 

[Beekissed]

You can...but I'd add it slowly so that they could eat it all before you added more. Corn not eaten may mold in the moist bedding. Another draw back is when you might want to fluff or aerate your bedding, the long stalks could make that difficult.

 

[ForgePondFarm]

I managed to successfully make it through the winter using the deep littler method. we built up the littler over the course of about nine months. In that time we developed about 11-12 inches of packed material at the very base. At no time did we have trouble with smell unless someone "forgot" their chores and did not stir the litter each week as they were directed to do. I used lime every three to four weeks, stirring, lime, stir, fresh shavings or hay or grass etc. It appeared that hay, although very popular with the residents took the longest to break down, or so I thought. When we shoveled out the coop I found that may of the pine shavings had not broken down as completely as I expected. Now I have a pile near the garden that I plan on letting compost another year before I use it.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My deep litter method has been ruined by the addition of 3 geese this winter. I put out 2 water buckets so they could immerse their heads (take a bath etc.) as I read they prefer this to a poultry fount. Well they have made the area around it so soggy and wet from spilling water I'm going to have a heavy mess to shovel out come Spring. The chickens kick it up and keep it quite dry but both ducks or geese have such wet poop that it kind of defeats the objective of dry litter. Next winter will house the geese separately from the hens.

Glad to see your post.. wondered the same dilemma with10 chickens, 2 guineas, 6 geese and 4 ducks.
I am putting them in a seperate run soon for that very reason.
My current "coop" is 12 x 16 i finally measured it LOL.
they range during the day and have a 25x12 run if i am not home.

 

[Arielle]

I have read thru a few of the posts and I'm confused on one basic point. If the bedding is designed to keep the chickens warm in the winter that requires the littler to be moist for decomp; dry bedding will not decompose. What am I missing?

 

[jamband]

I have read thru a few of the posts and I'm confused on one basic point. If the bedding is designed to keep the chickens warm in the winter that requires the littler to be moist for decomp; dry bedding will not decompose. What am I missing?

if you want it to really start breaking down don't stir it really deep just the top layer to mix the manure and avoid huge wet areas. Then at cleanout time scrape off the to few inches and this will be the bottom layer for new bedding. Remove all the other stuff and use it. Joeal salatin points out in his book they dont fully change brooder bedding because it allows for small exposures to allow the chickens to develop defense systems as well. of course if you rather just compost the top layer instead