Best Litter?? Struggling after years

[imacowgirl2]

Update:
So the first night was a complete nightmare. They were literally flying into the chicken wire I put up and ripped down a temporary tarp I hung to avoid them getting over the door into the brooder. They were roosting on one of the 2x4's we put up for the heat lamp. It was chicken mayhem! Last night they got into the brooder again, but it was much easier to get them on the roosting board.
I will say that aside from the "training" the poop tarp is working out fantastic.

This was my experience too…I covered my rafters with shade cloth when I got tired of them roosting in the rafters and pooping everywhere as a result. First night they lost their ever-loving minds and it took them over 45 mins to settle down. By night 3 they weren’t even trying for the rafters any longer. Once they were only on the roosts, the poop board was able to contain most of the poop, and a much cleaner coop was the result.

 

[Coffetym]

Do you use fine shavings or regular sized ones? I have 4 chickens about 6 1/2 weeks old and i am going to start introducing them to the coop in next few days during the day only but also want to partake in DLM.

TYIA

If you use shavings, only use pine & make sure it’s the larger shavings. The small shavings have too much dust & can cause respiratory problems in your birds.

 

[saysfaa]

I like the larger shavings, too, when I use(d) shavings.

 

[NameIwish]

Hey,

I have a 12ftx6ftx8ft coop where my 25 chickens free range all day long.

They 'free-range' inside a 72sf coop?

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

They 'free-range' inside a 72sf coop?

They have the ability to free range 40 acres but stick to about 1-2 acres.

 

[linguini]

I'm confused, why would you need to change the sand every year? I've had the same sand in my coop for 9 years, once every couple years I need to add a bag, but I've never removed any. Only in the coop, the run is my compost ing area, can't have sand where water could get to it.

Same here. We use sand for the 8x8x8 run (for 7 chickens) after trying out shavings and straws two years ago due to wet floor/ground (should have tried wood chips, but we didn't know then). Added sand once 6 months later. We only add yard wastes since. Never have to clean, or replenish the sand. No smell (unless someone just pooped the cecal poop). The ground is never wet since we changed to sand - probably mostly because the floor is higher! I used to power wash the wooden bars and frames a few times a year, but this year, they all seem quite dry and ok, so I skipped the spring cleaning (yay for me!)

The run is wrapped in the winter for about 5 months. But it has plenty of ventilation. Chickens love to dig holes for their dirt bath.

The chooks sleep in doll house coops (we have two for them to choose), which I use pine shavings on the floor, and clean daily (or weekly depending on time available). Just got some sweet PDZ and will try to use it at the base of the bedding.

 

[McChooky]

They poop more on the roost so the easiest solution is to cover the floor with linoleum for easy clean up or add roosts and poop boards.

 

[NvWilderness]

I'm giving hemp shavings a go. Supposedly more absorbent that other options and no odors. I'm using it in my brooder with 25 chicks - 2 weeks and no odor. And they seem to really like kicking and stirring it up - so much so they keep filling their water and food containers. Just a thought.

 

[LTAY1946]

There is definitely no way. We’re pretty proud of our coop and get tons of compliments it’s just trying to figure out the litter situation that’s driving me insane.

can you either make or purchase a rollout nest box to keep you eggs clean. I use one and 95% of my eggs look like they have been washed. They are incubator ready.

 

[DotToDot]

As a lot of people have said, deep litter doesn’t have to be a foot. Also, as long as you avoid some beddings (sand, cedar chips, etc), you can choose from a wide variety of them. If you have access to a paper shredder, you can make bedding from shredded paper (as long as the ink is soy-based and you change it often). Dry pine needles are another good, free bedding choice. Good luck!