Results from First Year with Deep Litter Method

[Bridebeliever]

Not all mold is bad. Is it from leaves? I'm in the pacific nw too and i know layers of leaves as they decompose they create a white mold.

 

[Beekissed]

Will do! Should I put some worms in it after I get it going some under the roost? I'm not afraid to dig in the dirt to find critters so I'd be willing to do it. I'd obviously wait until it was moist enough so that they had a chance of survival (because what's the point if they are dead). If it would be a good idea to put some bugs in the litter, what kind?

If you do, use red wigglers if you can...they are the most useful kind in a composting situation, especially for manure digestion. The bugs will find it, no worries. If you put some rich enough soil or compost in there it should have some bug and microorganisms already that you will need to jumpstart your DL.

Is mold a part of the deep litter process?

It sure is! Some people deliberately inoculate their mulched gardens to speed decomposition of the wood and particles to be found there. Molds and yeasts are your first responders, so to speak, and are inevitable wherever there are dead/rotting things. As was stated above, not all mold and yeasts are a bad thing and that's one really good reason to even have a composting DL...good mold and yeast growth can help prevent overgrowth of the bad kind. And great ventilation is the key to living cheek by jowl with molds of any kind, so it's invaluable with this method or even if one is not using this method...it's one of the healthiest things one can do for any coop~open up more ventilation.

 

[Bridebeliever]

So, Bee, should I put down mulch (basically forest dirt) as my first layer on the floor? I don't know why I'm so confused by this? Some people are saying don't put anything wet and you are pretty majoring on the wet stuff. I'm putting this all down in the next week.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep, I would. The folks who are saying don't put anything wet down are basically those who are using deep bedding vs. deep litter. If your coop is that dry, you'll need more moisture for the litter to decompose and your good ventilation keeps that moisture from becoming a problem to your flock.

The reason for wanting a litter pack that is decomposing? So it can "digest" your manure in the process, turning it from a stinking, fly and bacteria attracting mess into something useful, without that poop odor, that is constantly disappearing beneath the surface where flies are not attracted and the proper microorganisms can thrive while they utilize it for food.

Deep bedding is labor intensive and costly to keep up, especially if having a flock of any size, whereas deep litter is cheaper and less total work and worry once you have it working like it should. I think that's where most folks stumble, as they cannot get their minds around having a working compost pile in their coops.

 

[sophiaw00]

Is mold a part of the deep litter process?

x2 I had stored a bunch of fresh glass clippings to let them dry out for use in the coop but they began to mold so I didn't use them. Should I have still used them?

 

[Beekissed]

Depends on your ventilation and the depth of the DL you currently have and how well it's working. In my coop I'd toss in moldy grass clipping and such without any problem, especially if my litter was too dry at the moment. But, I have huge ventilation at all levels and that grass would get buried under the DL under my roosts within a day of being placed there when I flipped the manure.

It all comes back to ventilation. If you have a lot~and I mean more than what is deemed adequate per square foot and per bird~then you can play around with all kinds of material and moisture levels. If you don't, then you can run into problems with humidity levels, stale air and ammonia levels in your coop.

 

[sophiaw00]

Depends on your ventilation and the depth of the DL you currently have and how well it's working. In my coop I'd toss in moldy grass clipping and such without any problem, especially if my litter was too dry at the moment. But, I have huge ventilation at all levels and that grass would get buried under the DL under my roosts within a day of being placed there when I flipped the manure.

It all comes back to ventilation. If you have a lot~and I mean more than what is deemed adequate per square foot and per bird~then you can play around with all kinds of material and moisture levels. If you don't, then you can run into problems with humidity levels, stale air and ammonia levels in your coop.

Yes I have a lot. All 4 walls in my coop are made out of pallets have slats so it's basically all ventillation and on the back wall, half of it is a large window.

 

[Bridebeliever]

.
This is the ventilation in our coop. Lots of openings at the top, nothing but their door down below. Is this a problem? We can't change this because we are talking cement floor and cinder block walls. Here's another shot of the "windows", it alternates between plexiglass and screened (heavy duty) window openings.

 

[Beekissed]

You have a good bit up above, but you may want to open some below to allow for fresh air intake near the floor level. Doesn't have to be as large as what you have above but it sure will help move the warm, moist air from the bedding up through the coop and out the top. That will be great for all seasons, but particularly good for the winter months. The bottom ventilation can be a pop door left open or a similar size space with a louvered covering of some type that keeps out a direct wind but will still pull in passive currents of air.

 

[Bridebeliever]

Yeah, hubby isn't going to bust through the cinder block....this is it for ventilation at the floor. Their door. It will only be closed at night.

The other opening you see at the side will be closed off, it's where their nesting boxes will be built. (and it opens into another room just like their side.)