for those that use deep litter method...please advise me

[elissamay]

So if it does not truly compost being 4ft off the ground do you think it would cause health problems with the chickens?
Would they just be sleeping in their own poo without an of the good effects that the
DLM offers?

Or would it still work I would just need to clean it say 3 times a year instead of 1?

I will just give it a try and see what happens. If it does not compost the way that I want it to I am sure
that there is something that I can add to aid in that effort.

You can sprinkle in some good garden soil (nothing with artificial fertilizers) to help your DLM inside your elevated coop get inoculated with the soil's beneficial microbes.

 

[SunshineAnShade]

Thank you Bee! Those are very useful tips! I had wanted to just toss in dirt from my yard but it seems pretty dead. I had the same thought about getting soil from the woods but was going to dismiss it until you mentioned doing just that! Closest to the woods for me is at the end off our road in an empty overgrown lot boarding a small wooded area. I figured i could get what i need from beneath the weeds.... Thank you for the great advice! I want to do this as natural as possible. I know i tend to over think/over complicate things. I think it's because im so anxious being that it's my first time and wanting to get it right. I can't make a decision without consulting the experts first! Lol

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

Quote:
Thanks, I figured that I was doing to much when I start to regret cleaning the coop.
Ok, I will not use the bleach anymore, I had no idea about it killing organisms needed to
help the litter compost. I figured it was good to kill things in the coop when cleaning.
Thanks for your post. it was very helpful.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

Quote:
Thank you, your post and the thread you refered me to was very helpful.
I cannot find DE anywhere near me. I do however have hydrated lime.
Do I add lime when I add new bedding?

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

Another question I have is...When using the deep litter method, are flies a problem?

I had a huge problem with flies this summer and that was when I cleaned the coop every month.

 

[clairabean]

1. How does this work?
The poop dehydrates and starts to decompose, as it is layered with shavings. It keeps everything dry, which is a major bonus when you live in a freezing climate. It also keeps things warm and insulated.

2. Do you really only have to clean the coop 1-2 times a year? Yes. Really. Really. This was a major block for me when I started it. But after using the DLM, I really am sold on it. It is not messy, or dirty. It does not smell. Really. To clean the coop I first spray a light mist to keep the dust down. Then I suit up with a respirator for dust. I use a wide shovel to put the shavings in to containers (which I use straight around trees or in my garden- another bonus of DLM is that you can use the 'waste' fresh) In spring I hose the coop totally down, wait for it to completely dry and then lay the shavings.

3. How much litter do you add when adding new litter? I start out with about 6 inches all over. Every two weeks I add another inch. It will not be as fluffy and will look obviously 'used'. I throw in a whole loaf of bread for the chickens to play with and turn up the shavings for me. The bread is dry and does not add moisture to the shavings.

4. How healthy is this for the chickens? The chickens are dry. They are not tromping around in their own poop. They love to make little dents to hang in. I think they are very healthy.

I have never had the need to use DE or any chemicals to regulate. Just shavings. That is it. The very odd instance that we smell a bit (maybe deep in summer) I add a few more inches of shavings. We love it and it works for us.

 

[clairabean]

I feel that I have never had the need because we keep our coop very, very dry. No moisture. In summer we water outside. They have an overhang where the snow/rain never reaches. And the trick is to use enough shavings. A few inches scattered is not going to do the trick- you must use tonnes. It will look like your chickens will be swimming in it and making little goat trails to the laying boxes, but that is perfect.

If you walk in your coop, put a board across the door, to keep the shavings in.

I know it is a very hard thing to grasp- cleaning the coop out only TWICE a year?!?- but it really is magical.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

I am looking forward to starting the deep litter method.
I figured I was doing it wrong when cleaning the littler box
seemed to be a fun compared to cleaning the chicken coop.

I am due for my (regular cleaning) but this time instead of doing that I am just going to
add shavings and take it from there. My poor chickens are going to think that I have flipped.

But then they never really came to like the leaf blower either.

 

[featherz]

Just do it, I'd never be able to have chickens if I did what some folks on here do - cleaning daily, cleaning weekly, etc. Twice a year and the only time I ever smell anything is on a really hot humid day when it's not turned. If that happens I just run a rake through and all is well. And if it wasn't raining, I'd go take a pic of my removed coop shavings after my six month cleaning- they look just about new!

Only time I see flies is if they poop somewhere other than on the shavings, like on a roost or a stair. I scrape that off into the shavings. That link I posted is helpful also.

 

[Judy]

Twice a year here, too. We compost what is removed, or spread it under bushes, etc. that need food, or spread it in the garden and till under, several weeks before planting. Maybe twice a month I sprinkle some pelletized lime or Sevin around, or add a few shavings. The chickens usually keep it turned well. If they haven't turned the poop under the roosts for several days, I rake things around, then they start doing it for me again. (no, no poop board.) It is unusual for there to be any odor in there, or more than a few flies. I sit in a lawn chair in my coop about every day. The only reason what is removed doesn't go directly on the garden is concern that the newer pine shavings will draw nitrogen from the soil.

eta there are some threads linked on the FAQ page about this.