Deep litter method

[jvls1942]

I have been reading forums about DL for a long time. there seems to be no defined definition for it.. as far as I can tell.

I have concrete floors in all three of my coops.

I always thought I was doing the DL method, but not according to what I have read.

it seems that you have to have dirt floors and never actually clean out the bedding. just let it compost and keep adding litter to it.

seems to me you would be bumping your head on the ceiling after a time of doing this.

I lay down 6 to 8 inches of wood chips on the floor. cover them with a bale of straw.
when the straw gets soiled, I add more straw and/or wood shavings.
I do this all winter. clean out the coop in the spring.
the cleanings go onto one of my compost piles.
my coops are 12 ft x 16 ft .
some winters I have up to 200 birds.

.......jiminwisc.......

 

[Leahs Mom]

You can also just build your house with regular floors and use the deep litter outdoors in the run if you have one. I put all my litter out onto the run when the house is being cleaned out. I Also use wood chips (tree service drops for free) but you have to let them cure before using. Let them sit in a pile until you see worms inhabiting

It makes the most amazing, healthy run. No compacted, unhealthy soil that gets slimy in the rain. Rain soaks right in.

 

[jvls1942]

I also get my wood chips from a tree service that comes around every few years and trims for the power company.
I take all they will deliver. usually about 4 good truck loads.
I have a big tractor and loader and I turn the pile a couple of times during the summer.
I use those chips for lots of things.
like filling in a hole where I removed a large stone. banking along the house foundation where the water drips off the roof.
dump a load in the dog kennel to keep it dry.
I also do not tell any locals where I get the chips from.. I don't need that kind of competition ..

 

[txplowgirl]

First off, I love this thread!!

I'm still in the planning stages of my coop and will be starting construction in late Feb or so. I've read up to page 47 but still haven't read about a particular question I have.

I have a 10'x'10'x5' dog kennel that I will be turning into part coop part run for 6 large fowl birds, maybe a couple of more, particularly Dominiques. Hopefully will have them by March or at least by April.
I want to have a floor because I keep wondering of those of you who have dirt floors how do you keep the rain water from running into your coop and getting the deep litter wet and ruining it? I don't mean blowing in from the sides but once it hits the ground running under into the coop? I'm sure there is a simple answer staring me right in the face but as of yet i'm not seeing it.
Thanks for any help you can give me. Now, back to page 47.

 

[sweetater22]

Deep Litter that is 6-8 inches deep will let the water filter down to lower levels of the bedding and not stand on top. You need the added moisture at lower levels to promote the breakdown of the materials and the manure. If you have a drainage problem you can fix that by diverting the water away from you coop and run with a ditch. The run can have a border such as a piece of tin around the perimeter to hold the deep litter in and act as a wind break for your flock. If you will try to make your bedding as close to the forest floor as you can that will provide the most healthy bedding you can provide your flock wood chips, leaves, yard waste, garden waste limited straw etc. make good deep litter.

 

[txplowgirl]

Deep Litter that is 6-8 inches deep will let the water filter down to lower levels of the bedding and not stand on top. You need the added moisture at lower levels to promote the breakdown of the materials and the manure. If you have a drainage problem you can fix that by diverting the water away from you coop and run with a ditch. The run can have a border such as a piece of tin around the perimeter to hold the deep litter in and act as a wind break for your flock. If you will try to make your bedding as close to the forest floor as you can that will provide the most healthy bedding you can provide your flock wood chips, leaves, yard waste, garden waste limited straw etc. make good deep litter.

Duh! I knew there had to be a simple explanation that just wasn't getting through this little pea picking brain of mine. Thanks sweetater, I can picture that easily.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I agree. I have deep litter in a dog kennel situation and it produces the most healthy "floor" you could ever imagine. There is never any slick, unhealthy, impacted ground. And the worms proliferate in it. The chickens love digging in it.

On occasion I would take out a shovel and the chickens would come running. They knew when the saw the shovel that a feast was coming. I'd turn over some of the litter here and there, and it would be full of worms that they'd dig through to get. Then after they had spread it around again, it looked like I had never dug.

Water from rain never sits on the deep litter. It filters right through. Again, no impacted, slick, disgusting, dead soil. And on occasion, I've had one of my daughters dig some of the soil out from under the deep litter to take for her garden. It smells like the most healthy soil you've ever smelled. No stench. The rain actually accommodates that.

Wonderful, healthy way to keep a run!

 

[sweetater22]

You are more than welcome txplowgirl, and I agree with the above about mulch for the garden. You will produce the finest mulch for your flowers or garden also plenty of earthworms for fishin etc.

 

[City chicken 1]

I am just starting out with trying deep litter but haven’t got it deep enough yet. So far I have added a mix of leaves, grass clipping, straw, hay and a little bit of pine shavings.
I was wondering if it possible to add just the compost from my compost bin also to help build this up?

 

[sweetater22]

If you could possibly find aged wood chips at your local city or county refuse and or recycle facility that would be the very best material to start with. I would limit the hay and straw. Wood chips , leaves, kitchen and yard waste, will add to your mix very well. You may find a local tree service that would be glad to dump wood chips at your site for free, the chips most likely will be green but will aged if piled up. Pine shavings are ok, but in my opinion wood chips are far superior and have the fungi and good bugs needed to make the Deep Litter work.