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That should be ok with 8. I was just hoping they weren't crammed together. In that case, maybe do a poop board inside under the roosts to catch the night time poop and deep litter the rest.

That coop is more than a little small. Please tell me they have a decent sized run...

It's exactly like composting. It is cool composting rather than hot composting. It won't really build heat and it takes longer but same result. Also, you don't add any green materials because the chicken poop is your green. You can toss in kitchen scraps that would be greens but likely the birds...

What you are referring to is "Deep Bedding" with Deep litter, you don't clean the coup or run, it just breaks down in place, with Deep Bedding you have to clean the coup out in the spring and then compost.

Yes, it can be used both in the coup and run. No problems. Probably a little easier with a covered run, but not necessary.

Yep, that will work! It will break down slower than softer materials, so depending on your run size and how many hens, you may have to keep adding dry to combat the smell and it may build up too much too fast, but if that happens, just remove some and put it in a compost pile outside of the run...

If you are cleaning it all out and starting over each year, it sounds more like Deep Bedding, Deep Litter is much more permanent. In deep litter, if on a dirt floor, the litter just vanishes into the ground over time as it breaks down and the bugs loosen up the dirt under it, on concrete or some...

Actually, DLM can be done on a wood floor. You just need to get it started with some healthy dirt or compost and then it will keep going on it's own. Same reason that the barrel tumbler composters work even though they don't touch the ground.

I believe that deep litter is just throwing a few bags of shavings in there and then cleaning it like normal but with a lot more bedding, DLM is where you slowly accumulate a lot of bedding and manure in layers and let it rot in place.

Sweet PDZ only neutralizes ammonia so it won't hurt the DLM, but I don't know how much of it I would use, just a handful here or there if it starts smelling to kill the smell fast (a DLM that is properly balanced won't smell, but it may get stinky a few times before it's setup right). The coup...

DE is "diatomaceous earth" and can be found at any feed store ( I know I have seen it at tractor supply). There are 2 types, food grade and non food grade. I have seen people say that you should only use food grade, but I have also seen people say that either is fine, so use your own judgment on...

I think that the reason you don't see more is that there really isn't an ideal coop for deep litter. The only thing I would do differently would be to make sure you account for the height of the deep litter everywhere, so make feeders and waterers adjustable, put sideboards a foot up on the run...

You might be able to, but, how tall is this area, most that I have seen are only a few feet tall and putting 6 inches of bedding in there would seriously reduce the head room. If you have enough room (height) to do it, there wouldn't be any harm in trying.

Deep litter needs some moisture to work correctly, if you keep it bone dry it won't compost, but if when you clean waterers you dump the dirty water in the deep litter it will give that spot a nice jump start. Just pick a different place to dump it each time so no place gets soaked but it all...

A lot of people do DLM on concrete or wood floors. If the floor is raised off the ground (so you don't want it to rot and you fall through) I would put a tarp on it and secure the tarp a little way up the walls to protect the floor from any moisture. We have also had good results with using...

You will still be able to read but not post. They said there will be a few hours completely down and then they will bring it up for read only for probably the rest of the week while they complete the move, but then we will be back up and running as normal.

Yes you can. No problem. Welcome to BYC, I don't know if you have noticed of not, but we (entire site) are going offline shortly (later today) and will be gone probably until the weekend, they are having to move hosts. So just hang in there and we'll be back as soon as they get the new site up...

Ok, cool, so it CAN work in the right situation. I know it doesn't work well with horses (only livestock I have currently) and people have reported issues with it with chickens matting it down.

I would go with more wood based products than hay, but some hay would be great in it. The issue with a lot of hay is that it is long strands (which you addressed cutting into smaller pieces) and it will interlock into a thick woven mat that the chickens won't be able to turn and you will have...

Congratulations on the award! As for the Deep Litter, from my horticulture background, you need carbon (all of the things you mentioned purchasing) and Nitrogen (chicken poop) along with moisture and air. I personally would get a little of each item you mentioned for the different particle...