BEE......... details please on Deep Litter Method

[RoseMarie1]

Bee would you please tell me what you do to obtain the deep litter method in your coop? Mine would be in my run with no roof on it except for the poultry wire so it would get wet when it rains. I'm reading so much stuff on this and I have no clue which way to go with it. I know I wouldn't need to use DE on it because that might kill the good bugs in there and I don't want that.

Anyway I wanted your advise on just how to do this. Would the mulch like pine straw and leaves be ok to put on the bottom of the deep litter and then pile grass clippings on top of that from mowing the lawn?

 

[RoseMarie1]

I am new at this so I have no clue who all else might know the answers to my questions.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Also Bee I have another question, do you use lime on your floors? I'm seeing where folks are using this and am wondering if that doesn't kill the bugs and the good bugs to?

 

[RoseMarie1]

I sure hope I'm doing this right! All I had to get started on this was grass from mowing the lawn. Then I noticed when I used my sweeper to sweep the grass there was leaves in it as well. yea! So anyway I got started on it this evening and worked 3 hours on it. They were all out free ranging and man were they happy campers when they came inside their run. They started rooting around and scratching around in it. lol

Then here's a video I made of them scratching to show you how much they like it. ;-)

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=552776674781226

 

[RoseMarie1]

Well Bee told me the grass clippings wouldn't be good to use in my climate. I already had them in there so today it was nice and cool from the rain we had and actually feels like fall. No high humidity so I started raking and forking it outta there. Got 5 large construction wheelbarrow loads! NOW to get the leaves and pine straw raked up. SHOULD be doing that now but just had to be still and enjoy this weather! Its sooooo awesome! I don't "be still" enough.

Oh and I can hear the geese. They must have just lit on the pond! I just LOVE Canadian geese!

 

[aart]

For those interested, Bee answered Rose's questions on page 5&6 of this thread..but read the whole thread, it's very good!!

 

[RoseMarie1]

THANK YOU Aart!!!! It IS very interesting! I am going to get started shortly on mine!!! Just needed more info. Jumped out there all eager to get er done and put the grass clippings which was a no no! So wanted to make sure oh what to put before I added more. That took me about 3 hours to do. It wasn't wasted work though because I had a hole beside a tree out there and that needed filling up so I piled it in there and am working on filling up some more holes out there to. Thank you again Aart!