We started with deep litter method at the start of November. We're not doing it right, because we're starting to smell ammonia.
What we've done:
-- 10" of straw in coop with linoleum floor
-- turning weekly with rake and sprinkling Sweet PDZ
-- adding fresh straw every week or two
The coop is well-ventilated — we keep the screened door and four windows exposed all the time.
I moved a bunch of the soiled straw out to the run, which is partially covered and gets stirred up more by the hens, in hopes that it will air out and get broken down faster more quickly. The smell in the coop is almost gone for now.
Do I need to completely clean the coop and start over? Are pine shavings really a must? Straw seemed a more cost-effective option for our spacious coop (4'x8' for 5 birds), and I thought it would be quicker to convert to usable compost.
I've been reluctant to throw scratch into the coop to get them to churn it up more ... mixing food and poop strikes me as a poor idea.
Thanks for tips. We tried a poop hammock and daily scooping, and DLM seems so much easier!
What we've done:
-- 10" of straw in coop with linoleum floor
-- turning weekly with rake and sprinkling Sweet PDZ
-- adding fresh straw every week or two
The coop is well-ventilated — we keep the screened door and four windows exposed all the time.
I moved a bunch of the soiled straw out to the run, which is partially covered and gets stirred up more by the hens, in hopes that it will air out and get broken down faster more quickly. The smell in the coop is almost gone for now.
Do I need to completely clean the coop and start over? Are pine shavings really a must? Straw seemed a more cost-effective option for our spacious coop (4'x8' for 5 birds), and I thought it would be quicker to convert to usable compost.
I've been reluctant to throw scratch into the coop to get them to churn it up more ... mixing food and poop strikes me as a poor idea.
Thanks for tips. We tried a poop hammock and daily scooping, and DLM seems so much easier!