INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

Pics
Date sort Score sort
We made it to 28 degrees today, everyone actually came out for a while too. Got to flip and stir the litter, so far its staying dry.have at least 6 inches of pine needle, shavings, leaves etc... with some DE and sweet PDZ mixed in. Smells pretty good in there, even with all the birds. Really pleased with the Deep Litter method, will definitely continue to use it.
 
Crafty chick said:
I had originally put quite a bit of straw down. Like over a foot deep. Those fuzzybutts wouldn't move worth anything. So I pitch forked the top half out trying not to spike any of them. And we're talking a 4 x4 coop and 6 BO. It has a second story to it, but they aren't full grown yet, and refuse to learn how to climb the ladder. Come spring it'll be shavings or sand for me!
Click to expand...

I use deep litter year-round but I HATE straw and refuse to use it except as a bale for a wind-break. It takes forever to break down, is a great place for lice/mites to hide inside the hollow tubes, and sometimes ends up with the kind of mold that's unhealthy.

I use wood shavings mostly, but I also put a layer of dirt from the garden in it too to get a good start on the composting since I don't have a dirt floor. Having a good, composting deep litter also makes things warmer in the winter - even over a cement floor.

This article has some links about the beneficial "buggies" that are present in the deep litter and the health benefits of keeping deep litter: http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/deep-litter-method.html

ETA: I never use DE or PDZ as the purpose in the deep litter is to GROW beneficial bacteria and create a composting environment. Those items will kill the good bacteria and essentially stop the composting process and you end up with a lot of dusty powder without the benefits of the healthy bacteria and decomposition.
 
Last edited:
Crafty chick said:
I think this next time I clean it, I will remove the straw and put down shavings. Where is the cheapest? Also, how much of the DE and sweet PDZ do you add?
Click to expand...

I'd encourage you NOT to use either one. Take a look at the article above and go out to the links to read about the beneficial nematodes and see what you think!
 
Crafty chick said:
I should put soil from the garden in too. May have to start this when the ground is softer. Since I have a cement floor, how deep should I make the bedding?
Click to expand...

Would you be starting this now in the winter...or waiting until spring when it's warmer?

I I were starting it now brand new (in the winter when it's so cold) I'd probably try to make it about 4-6" deep so you get some insulation from the cold cement. Then I wouldn't add any more for quite awhile. From there you can give it a rake to stir things up under the roosts and mix the droppings in every once in awhile ( I like to give it a little rake in the morning or whenever I have a minute...doesn't take long.) OR...put the birds to work by throwing some food (sprouts, grains, etc.) down on the bedding and they'll scratch for it and get everything stirred up.

If I were starting when it's warmer out, I'd just start with a relatively thin layer - maybe a couple inches - then add to it every week or so until it builds up pretty deep.

For my situation, adding in some dirt really helped get things going. And since I added that in the summer, they got some worms and bugs in there and the local soils and bacteria to get things off to a nice start. They really loved scratching through that!

Before I put the dirt it, I had been using the DE until I realized what the purpose and benefits of the deep litter was. I ended up taking out a lot of what was there because of that. It was just a lot of dusty stuff. It had been drilled into my head that it had to be dry....to the dust point.... but then, after a little research, realized that wasn't going to bring the benefits I was looking for. I re-started it near the end of the summer with the dirt, etc. It is even good for it to have a little humidity (horrors!!!
ep.gif
) as it's needed for the composting.

Even with the humidity, I haven't had any frozen combs/wattles, etc. No bad smells... one of my friends who is a clean freak and someone that really doesn't like animals came to my house in the hot part of summer and wanted to see the chickens. She went into the hen house and immediately said, "It doesn't stink in here!" Now that's saying something coming from her!!! I also began fermenting most of their feed which I'm told makes a diff in smells but that was way after my friend visited!

For less expensive wood shavings you might try local woodworking shops, lumber mills, etc. JUST BE SURE IT'S NOT TREATED LUMBER SHAVINGS. Sometimes you can get a pickup load full of shavings really cheap rather than purchasing the small bags. I have some friends that have HUGE barn structures who get their shavings by the pickup load rather than bags. If you have a large coop/barn area, etc. it's probably worth asking around!
 
Last edited:
My automatic door opens every morning and the flock and decide can decide on their own if they want to go out and just about everyone of them goes out. I use the deep litter method. I dont use any DE or PDZ. Some people like it but I personally never had tried it. I only use natural bedding, like straw, hay, pine needles, dirt. Everyone has their preferences.
 

Similar threads

C
    • Like
Plantation, FL Ordinance Change Thread
Replies
5
Views
3K
pcgboca
pcgboca
C
Recurring canker in senior hen
Replies
2
Views
734
dawg53
dawg53
S
Paralyzed Hen
Replies
3
Views
664
shelbyypont
S
S
    • Like
Marek's Vaccine in Canada
Replies
2
Views
1K
Stephine
S
B
Chicks with Respiratory Issues
Replies
3
Views
741
NuggetMama
NuggetMama

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom