Coop bedding/litter options

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My coop is 6x8 foot. It has two large canopy windows on the front, they are about 20"x20" each, maybe 18"x18" (I've never measured them. The back side has two 12x12 slider windows. When I put the metal on my roof I kept it several inches short of reaching the peak. I put hardware cloth over that opening and then put my ridge cap on, so I have ventilation all the way down the roof ridge that is about 5 inches. Plus I leave the eaves open on each side and they are just covered by hardware cloth, so there is a lot of ventilation there. Here are some pics of the vents. I bought a gable vent to put in above my walk in door. but I haven't done that yet, maybe once it warms up.







 
For deep litter to work properly it should have contact with the ground. It's really just a version of composting in situ, it can rot wooden floors. I would do either shavings and poop boards, or just shavings and clean as necessary. I keep my bedding thinner in summer and thicker in winter.
 
DreamsInPink said:
That sounds like a good plan.. which is kind of what I was leaning toward. :) What is 'situ'? (sorry, dummy here) I wish I could find the one picture I found of the roosts with droppings board...
Click to expand...
Sorry, in situ means; in place, or in position. So you are composting right on the coop floor in deep litter as opposed to removing soiled bedding and composting it elsewhere.
 
Ahhh, I'm going to have a large flock. Chicken math has hit me HARD! lol

Yeah, I think I'm going to skip the official DLM and just use pine shavings as needed. I'm researching droppings boards, (basically looking at pictures on google) right now.

One question I do have regarding a dust bath area for them, does that need to be covered? Protected from rain? I'm thinking if it gets wet, I'll have a mud bath... lol
 
Yes, if I had a large flock I might probably opt for droppings boards to manage the poop, too.

Definitely cover the dust bathing area, esp if it is sand. Wet sand can really smell. I think it is money well spent to cover as much of your run as you can manage; the girls can dust bathe even when it is raining pretty hard. Mine have a choice of sand or dirt for dust bathing, and they use both.
 
Even a tarp and bungees can help for covering and providing dust bathing...mine are about 7 weeks and their entire job is growing feathers, as far as I can tell..must be pretty itchy...all those little feather shafts and pieces of down and bare spots under the wing....they have established dust bath under the coop...before that I gave them wood ash and peat moss and plan to keep throwing that into their protected areas...they also love the simple top soil I put down in the run...as it was dry they went to town digging in it and rolling around...


Have to say probably the best thinking i had was to provide a covered run...this is snow country...
 
Yes, that's a good idea. Mine will also be able to get under the coop. Right now they are still in brooders... and they are tickled when I clean their bedding. They roll and thump around like they are in heaven. lol
 

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