Results from First Year with Deep Litter Method

[amenfarm]

Thanks! The doctor has started me on weaning out of the cast over the next fourteen days. The camping trip turned in to a very good thing, I had to walk up a steep hill to go to the bathroom. Went from help and a walking stick to just someone walking beside me. Sent picture's of how the whitewashing looks.

 

[Smilin Teri]

I clean my coop and run everyday--Really a few times a day-We use sand in the coop its almost 2 inches deep and i scoop with litter scooper-- MINE HAS NOT HAD A SMELL YET !!!! In fact my chicken friends BRAG about HOW CLEAN mine is--I am sure it is easier for me I only have 5 gurls--

 

[RedWolfTX]

Hi all -

I'm planning my coop, and DLM sounds like the best option. However, the depth some of you talk about boggles my mind. 2 feet deep? Do you stoop over when you enter the coop/run?

I'm planning on building the Wichita Cabin Coop. I'm going to dig out the foundation to the depth of the buried pavers, but that's about 8". With the top layer of pavers, that may give me about 10" total depth. Is that enough for DLM to be effective?

 

[amenfarm]

Yes, mine is only deeper than 5 or 6 inches in wintertime. Mine like to borrow a circle into it. Just remove soiled litter as needed and add fresh. Just don't overdo it in wintertime because it will not insulate from cold until it's a bit dusty,dirty.

 

[pdirt]

Hi all - 

I'm planning my coop, and DLM sounds like the best option.  However, the depth some of you talk about boggles my mind.  2 feet deep?  Do you stoop over when you enter the coop/run?

I'm planning on building the Wichita Cabin Coop.   I'm going to dig out the foundation to the depth of the buried pavers, but that's about 8".   With the top layer of pavers, that may give me about 10" total depth.    Is that enough for DLM to be effective?

This is only my second winter with DLM, so keep that in mind. After the first winter, I cleaned out the run and coop in the spring, making it a full year of DLM. I found that most of the bedding was dry, uncomposted and I deemed it excessive. It was probably a good 18" deep when I cleaned it out. This winter I am a bit more conservative with bedding...we will see how it looks come spring. What I have been doing now is when it starts to smell, I put down an inch or two of shavings. I don't actually spread it even. I just make a few piles guesstimating it to cover an inch or two. The chickens will spread it even for me in no time. I spread it thickest under the roosts of course.

 

[RonP]

I find my girls love to dig deep craters in the deep 2 foot litter.

I'm not sure what, but they are constantly pecking and eating something good.

 

[RedWolfTX]

Thanks for the feedback!

The only place I can put my coop due to the 50' from any residential building rule Austin has means it's going to be over the roots of either of my big oaks. I'm going to need a good composting going on in order to keep the 'hot' poop from burning the roots.

 

[Buckhowdy]

I started the DLM in the new coop in mid November. I needed to build a partition in the coop for some some new chicks and a brooder. I decided to move some of the shavings around before building the partition. The shavings under the roost got a thorough mixing and were transplanted into a cleaner area of the coop. I watered everything down to compost (I live in a dry climate). As I was digging a trench in the litter for a chicken wire partition, I notice that the litter was HOT. SCARY HOT!!! That's nice because the temperatures here are below freezing here in the morning. The water hasn't frozen in the coop since I noticed the heat from the litter. It started to smell like ammonia later on so I added more carbon (shavings) to drive the reaction away from producing ammonia. I backed off on the water too. I'm planning to do some remodeling of the partition. At that time I think I will go to town in there and get all of the litter thoroughly mixed up and watered sparingly. Its amazing how hot the litter can get!

 

[Aus Trina]

Hi,
I live in a very hot humid part of Australia. Even in winter, it doesn't get below 10 degrees Celcius. (50F) Currently the middle of summer, so temps are mid 20's at night and mid to high 30's (100+F) during the day. I use DLM - coop is well drained, completely ventilated ( the bottom of the walls is wire, roosts and nesting boxes above) and a mixture of grass clippings, leaves, and straw. The girls free range outside the coop during the day,regularly dig holes down to the ground level during those times they are inside the coop, so the litter is regularly turned over. Not much smell, but clouds of flies. Any suggestions?

 

[cwrite]

Hi,
I live in a very hot humid part of Australia. Even in winter, it doesn't get below 10 degrees Celcius. (50F) Currently the middle of summer, so temps are mid 20's at night and mid to high 30's (100+F) during the day. I use DLM - coop is well drained, completely ventilated ( the bottom of the walls is wire, roosts and nesting boxes above) and a mixture of grass clippings, leaves, and straw. The girls free range outside the coop during the day,regularly dig holes down to the ground level during those times they are inside the coop, so the litter is regularly turned over. Not much smell, but clouds of flies. Any suggestions?

Hi Tina,
I live in a not and humid part of Australia and don't use deep litter in my coop. I do use it in my run & it has been fantastic there. I find that the amount of poop from just being in there overnight is too much for the size of my coop to use deep litter well. At least that is what I think it may be. However, you may want to try lime. I free-range my chooks quite a bit and limed my lawn to balance the ph and have noticed that what flies there were are gone. I found this article but you may want to do more research.

http://www.poultryonthegwydirweebly...-and-hydrated-lime-in-your-poultry-yards.html