Deep litter method

[salmoninthebeak]

We have had chickens since last Spring, spent the Summer building a coop, and am a bit confused about what is considered the "coop", and what is considered the "run"..... and where DL is beneficial.

I think the whole thing is about 3ft x 9ft, the chickens go up a plank into the "house" part at night where we have the nesting boxes, and roosting bars. The house takes up one end of the coop. The "house" is probably 2ft off the ground, and accessible by hinges which opens the side up, from the outside of the coop. We have pine boards that we built the house with, and we put a laminate type flooring over the top to make it easier to clean, I have a couple of mats on the floor which I cover in pine shavings and then just pull the mats out and dump the stuff in yard waste. I don't close the "house" at night, although we could. I don't have any food or water in there. Could I remove the mats and DL in the "house"?? Should I have food and water in the house if the coop is always accessible?

Back down on the soil floor of the coop is where the food container sits. Right now I give them water with a bottle that attaches from the outside, like you would use on a rabbits cage. All the chickens (we have 3) know how to work it. I had been putting hay down on the soil floor of the coop (but not under the house as it's hard to get under), but it's been really wet - and I finally had to muck it out and probably removed 2" of stuff that wasn't properly composting (too hot?? smelled really bad). I have a couple of bags of dirt to add to the soil floor since I had to remove so much compacted muck, after I put some of this back, can I use the DL on the floor of the coop too?? Is this the part that is considered the "run" ??

Any and all tips appreciated!!!!! We have also had to bathe one of the chickens a couple of times because she is getting stuff stuck to her back feathers when pooping. Seems to be a problem over the last month, but only with 1 of 3 of the chickens.

 

[Beekissed]

We have had chickens since last Spring, spent the Summer building a coop, and am a bit confused about what is considered the "coop", and what is considered the "run"..... and where DL is beneficial.

I think the whole thing is about 3ft x 9ft, the chickens go up a plank into the "house" part at night where we have the nesting boxes, and roosting bars. The house takes up one end of the coop. The "house" is probably 2ft off the ground, and accessible by hinges which opens the side up, from the outside of the coop. We have pine boards that we built the house with, and we put a laminate type flooring over the top to make it easier to clean, I have a couple of mats on the floor which I cover in pine shavings and then just pull the mats out and dump the stuff in yard waste. I don't close the "house" at night, although we could. I don't have any food or water in there. Could I remove the mats and DL in the "house"?? Should I have food and water in the house if the coop is always accessible?

Back down on the soil floor of the coop is where the food container sits. Right now I give them water with a bottle that attaches from the outside, like you would use on a rabbits cage. All the chickens (we have 3) know how to work it. I had been putting hay down on the soil floor of the coop (but not under the house as it's hard to get under), but it's been really wet - and I finally had to muck it out and probably removed 2" of stuff that wasn't properly composting (too hot?? smelled really bad). I have a couple of bags of dirt to add to the soil floor since I had to remove so much compacted muck, after I put some of this back, can I use the DL on the floor of the coop too?? Is this the part that is considered the "run" ??

Any and all tips appreciated!!!!! We have also had to bathe one of the chickens a couple of times because she is getting stuff stuck to her back feathers when pooping. Seems to be a problem over the last month, but only with 1 of 3 of the chickens.

Traditionally, the structure that houses the chickens indoors and has a roof on it, is considered the coop. The outside fenced area is considered a run. When you have a tractor style coop, small building with attached fenced in area that can be moved from place to place, then I think people just call that whole setup a "coop".

Unless the coop/building is very small and without a lot of ventilation, it's probably best to not attempt deep litter there as it won't get enough airflow and it will build up rather quickly. In the outside fenced in area, if not moved frequently, you can place some deep litter but it's likely to get kicked out of the fencing unless you place something at the bottom of the fence to contain the litter materials. It will get kicked out all the more in a run that narrow.

I wouldn't bathe your chicken...it removes her natural oils and protection from the weather and parasites. That poop stuck to her butt is because she is laying and her vent is now loose, not able to pinch off a loaf like it can when the vent is nice and tight. It's normal in layers and particularly when they are into peak laying season~which is now. They will eventually groom that out and it will be gone.

You can give them a place to dust and it can help remove soil from the feathers while also helping them to protect them from parasites.

If you could post good, detailed pics of the areas of which you speak we might be able to tell you how to go about using DL, if you can.

 

[salmoninthebeak]

interesting about the vent.... I have 3 layers, we get about 19 eggs a week,... and she's the only one with the vent issue.
We have a black australorp, a barredrock, and a rhode island red (which is the one with the vent issue).
We do have a dry garden that they take dirt baths in. The Rhode Island Red tends to have a bit wetter of a stool too.
She had a shock early October, not sure what exactly happened, but think that a dog got into the yard and she was in shock for a few days, and lost a ton of feathers. She had a slight wing injury on the underside - but no bite.
We have a ventilation flap on the house part. Maybe even two sides of it (not opposite each other).
The coop is 4'x12', and 8' tall. Right now our yard is VERY wet. The soil in the cage is VERY damp, but no standing water.
It does get mucky though. Here are a couple of pictures, still in the process of being built, but an idea.

 

[Beekissed]

She's probably your steadiest layer and lays a good size egg. I have some who are laying that keep a permanent "drip strip" in laying season and some that do not...it's individual to the bird, their age, the butt feathering, their grooming habits, the elasticity of their vent, etc.

You could sure use deep litter in that run but I doubt if you'll be able to do anything with it in that small of a coop. You'll need to put something up along the sides of the bottom of your run, unless you are using hardware wire, to keep in your litter materials and so you can build it up deep enough to do any good.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I know you are still constructing the coop/run, so you may not have cut the windows/vents yet, but be sure to add plenty of ventilation. As it sits right now it looks to have none.

 

[A1momof3]

Question!!!
I have been saving my pine shaving that I clean out if my brooder box to help start my deep litter in my coop when I move my peeps out there. Is this good or bad thing to do? Is there any reason I shouldn't?

 

[Beekissed]

Question!!!
I have been saving my pine shaving that I clean out if my brooder box to help start my deep litter in my coop when I move my peeps out there. Is this good or bad thing to do? Is there any reason I shouldn't?

Nope...should be fine!

 

[henless]

Question!!!
I have been saving my pine shaving that I clean out if my brooder box to help start my deep litter in my coop when I move my peeps out there. Is this good or bad thing to do? Is there any reason I shouldn't?

I've cleaned my brooder out twice so far. A week after I got them and realized it really didn't need cleaning. . Then a week or so ago when I moved them to my coop brooder. I just dumped the shavings in the coop. I've also been raking up leaves and going ahead and putting them in the coop/run. I didn't see any sense in bagging them when I had a perfect place to dump them!

 

[A1momof3]

I've cleaned my brooder out twice so far. A week after I got them and realized it really didn't need cleaning. . Then a week or so ago when I moved them to my coop brooder. I just dumped the shavings in the coop. I've also been raking up leaves and going ahead and putting them in the coop/run. I didn't see any sense in bagging them when I had a perfect place to dump them!

That's exactly what I have been doing as well. I do clean the brooder out more. But it is in the house because the coop isn't ready yet, so being in the house I try to cut down on the smell. LOL But I just dump them out in the coop, it seemed like such a waste not too. Glad to see I'm not the only one.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

That reminds me... I'm going to be getting a couple of pullets next month, that I'll be quarantining for a month. If they turn out to be healthy, is there any reason not to dump the shavings from the quarantine pen into the coop?