Deep litter method

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Generally this only works well with a dirt floor coop. Basically, you just pile in a ton of straw (like 18 inches worth) in your coop, adding some as necessary throughout the winter. Apparently the little microbes and such from the dirt get worked into the droppings and such, and you end the winter with some nice compost. Check out www.themodernhomestead.com for info I think.
 
I am ready to get the deep litter out of my coop. Some of it is frozen to the ground where snow blew in when the door was open and melted. I keep turning and adding more straw.

It has been nice though. It has kept the smell down considering the tons of poop that must be in it. I layed the straw down in October/November. Its gonna take several trips with the wheelbarrow. The chickens are constantly spreading the straw around. I am sure it has also prevented lots of cold feet from the concrete floor
 
I have a smaller coop, 4'x6', and I use around 6-8" of pine shavings on the wooden floor. I also mixed in around a cup or two of diatomaceous earth (DE). I use a small piece of wood to turn over the shavings a couple of times a week, and I have no problems with odor at all, and I haven't changed the shavings in three months. Hope this helps. Oh and also, I have linoleum covering the floor underneath. It helps a lot.
 
we use DLM and have from day one. Our flock will be a year old in March and we have only completely cleaned (emptied the coop of all litter) one time, just about 3 months ago. Once a week I do a "freshen up" of the litter turning all the litter with a rake, then adding a layer of DE (food grade) and a layer of pine shavings.

It works GREAT....gives the girls and our big 20+pound rooster a soft place to land in the morning coming off the roosts, and is good insulation, and little smell (if it starts to smell its time to turn it and add De and shavings). When we removed the litter we just took it all over to the garden aread and there it has sat, breaking down and will be tilled in sometime next month.

I think DLM is the only way to go!!!

~Tiff~
 
i am moving my chickens to a new house and I am going to try the DLM. I am soo excited to do this too. How is the rodent issue with the DLM? anyone have problems with rats?
 
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This has been my experience too. A bag of shavings per month and about a pound of DE scattered in between. No smells, no bugs, and a lot of it seems to decompose and virtually disappear in place.
 
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That sounds very convenient!

Do you periodically add more DE or shavings to it?

Will the deep bedding method work during the summer, too?

No, I haven't added more DE or shavings since I first put it in there. I don't know about summer. I've only had my chickens for 5 months.
 

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