Big Kitty Litter Box

[bamabb]

So I have learned so much from this site over the last few months but this is my first time posting. I have searched and searched trying to find a good answer to my question but nothing exactly like my coop.

I just moved to a new house and my coop is now right next to my deck and house. SO I am looking for a new method to keep the coop clean and low odor. The deep litter method really didn't work on a coop this small. I get 2 layers and all the shavings start falling out on the ground.

Here is my ideas. I currently have 3 Easter Eggers, 3 Rhode Island Reds. I have put my coop right up against the underside of my deck. I plan on enclosing the underside of the deck to give the chickens a large run. My current coop has a run and a roost box. The Run is 42" x 108" and the roost box is 42" x 48". The current run is filled with sand/dirt and the coop I have been filling with shavings. I change the shavings every 2 weeks. But at the end of 2 weeks it has a pretty good odor going on. So was going to start changing it every week, but at this point I don't have a use for the shavings so it is a huge waste to throw away that much shavings every week. So now my thoughts are to either A) change my roost and put in a singe roost across the 48" length of my coop and add a poop tray and add Sweet PDZ in the tray and scoop it every 1-2 days. or B) just leave the current roosts which at 2 tree limbs in an X pattern and just fill the entire area with Steel PDZ. My thing is with the area only being 43" x 48" I don't think I have enough room to put in 2 roost bars, and I don't think 6 chickens will fit on a single 48" bar. Also you can see in the pictures I will have to put the roost bar above the opening to the next box and door going outside so it will be pretty high. SO I thought about giving a friend of mine 2 of my chickens. But how many eggs will 4 chickens produce? Or do I leave the current 2 roost in the x pattern and fill the entire thing with Sweet PDZ? Will I still struggle to keep the smell down with 6 chickens? My Run will be huge so that will not be problem. The coop is rather small I think for 6 chickens.

I added pictures so maybe y'all can come up with some better ideas.

 

[Dmontgomery]

Since they will now have a run underneath the deck, have you considered redoing the existing run to expand your coop size? Raise the run roof up to the same level as the coop and you have got plenty of area for most roosting bars. Then just extend the coop floor out to the side of the deck area.