Can't Use Deep Litter - What Else Can I Do?

[TallJ]

Hello All,
I am new to chicken keeping. My girls just turned 4 weeks, and are still in the brooder box. I was planning on using a deep litter method when we moved them to the coop - once we built it. However, it was one project too many. (We are still working to get the fence in. Turns out it requires a jack hammer!!!)
So we bought an Amish built coop. It is lovely, and even better, it was clearanced! I realized (duh) after we had the coop delivered that the nest boxes are too close to the floor to do a deep litter method.
The coop is 5x8 and we are fencing in a roughly 37x40 area. So they will have plenty of access to pasture. I have 13 various egg layers and 6 guineas.
The coop has a plywood floor. I have some leftover linolium I can cut to fit over it. It was suggested that I do NOT glue or caulk it as the products/odors could kill the chickens?? Soooo, my question is - what else can I do that is not too high maintenance, and keeps odor, ammonia, and bacteria down?

Thanks!!!
Chicken area - about 37x40

Coop exterior Plywood floor Nest boxes are along the floor

 

[Mrs Rebecca]

I have a very small coop with low nest boxes as well. I bought my coop at a local farm store. I use sand in my coop and run. The idea came from The Chicken Chick, she also lists several advantages to using sand in the coop. I rake mine out a couple of times a week and my coop stays very fresh. So far, I have only changed out my sand once per season (in the coop, I haven't changed any sand in the run). It keeps the birds' feet cleaner and the floor drier. Plus, you can't beat the cost. At our local sand plant, which sells cleaned river sand, it only costs $8 per ton. I do still use straw in the nest boxes and I change that out weekly.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/09/chicken-coop-bedding-sand-litter.html

 

[redsoxs]

Great looking coop! I notice the 2 x 4 strip on the floor along the front of the nest boxes. Looks like there is still a lot of height in the nest box that you could tack on another 2 x 2 on top of that - the hens could still access the boxes then you could probably get by with the deep litter method. I think that would work. If not and you go with the linoleum (you could always just screw it down in a couple place to avoid adhesives) - I'd put down some pine shavings - you'd have to scoop and replace once in awhile. Good luck to you!

 

[TallJ]

I have a very small coop with low nest boxes as well. I bought my coop at a local farm store. I use sand in my coop and run. The idea came from The Chicken Chick, she also lists several advantages to using sand in the coop. I rake mine out a couple of times a week and my coop stays very fresh. So far, I have only changed out my sand once per season (in the coop, I haven't changed any sand in the run). It keeps the birds' feet cleaner and the floor drier. Plus, you can't beat the cost. At our local sand plant, which sells cleaned river sand, it only costs $8 per ton. I do still use straw in the nest boxes and I change that out weekly.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/09/chicken-coop-bedding-sand-litter.html

The strip at the bottom of the nest boxes is at most 2" high. From a lot of reading I have seen 8-12" as the best depth for deep litter. But at most I could do 3-4" :-( And the doors are flat with the floor.
Mrs. Rebecca, thanks for the link. Interesting. When you say you rake it out, do you just rake off the top layer of your sand a couple times a week? I am concerned about keeping it 'on hand'. WE have a sand plant not too far away, but where to store the extra? Does it need to be covered? We have wild animals and misc cats that roam around. I wouldn't want to take up pasture area to store the sand, but I wouldn't want local barn cats on the wander using it as kitty litter either...

 

[Mrs Rebecca]

I only use around a half inch of sand in the coop. Maybe not even quite that much. I store the extra in a very large plastic tote in a nearby shed. Like I said before, my coop is very small and it doesn't take much sand. Plus, the floor of my coop sets above part of my run and it can slide out for cleaning. I don't want the sand to become too heavy, so I don't pile it in too much. When I rake, I do rake all of it because there is so little, it is very easy. If you wanted to store it outside, you could probably cover it somehow. I also have a pile of sand, that wouldn't fit in the tote, inside my kids' sandbox. I figure it will stay clean there and before winter I can use it to refresh the run. By spring, I can refill the kids' sandbox. If you go with sand, you are going to want to cover the wood on the floor with vinyl or something as durable. I don't know why you couldn't store extra sand in large trash cans or recycled barrels, maybe even a homemade bin made from recycled pallets. Try to think outside the box, with the needs of your coop and property in mind. I bet you can come up with something clever to keep your sand clean. I agree with your worry about animals spoiling the sand.