coop depth suggestion for deep litter method

[aart]

is there any one who has used the deep liter method in a 4x6 coop? I'm seeing most deep liter is used in the run or in wak in coops that are big.
Quote: I scoop poop out of roost board (they poop lots at night and the roost board catches all that) every few days and give to a friend who composts it.
Roost board has sand and PDZ(which absorbs ammonia).
That takes care of a majority of the poop and keeps the odor and humidity down in the coop.

Floor starts with an inch or so of shavings in fall after I do total clean out,
then I add some here and there as it breaks down or if it's really cold I put more in for them to snuggle down in to lounge.

If you aren't going to use a roost board, then it's a different story...one I can't attest to as I've always used the roost board.

 

[Emma Miriam]

is there any one who has used the deep liter method in a 4x6 coop? I'm seeing most deep liter is used in the run or in wak in coops that are big.

Well, this is my first year with chickens so I can't attest to how well this will work out, but I've done lots of research and here's my plan. I live in MA (so very cold winters), and have a 12 square foot coop with a dirt floor and a ~52 square foot run for 3 pullets. So far it's been warm, so I just have a thin layer of shavings in the coop, changed every 3-4 weeks.

My plan for the winter is to add a droppings board under the roost like aart has, so that I won't have as much poop to deal with in the litter. Then, I will put a thicker layer of shavings, and stir it up and add to it as it gets pooped on during the day. It won't be real deep litter, because I doubt it'll have enough time to really compost: I'll only start building up litter in the fall. This, hopefully, will work for me. If any heat is generated, that will be a nice bonus, but I'm mostly doing deep litter so I won't have to clean out the whole coop as often when it's cold out.

In case you're looking for more info on deep litter, here are two articles on the subject from chicken blogs. The Chicken Chick's article covers real deep litter, where the litter is only changed out once a year. Fresh Eggs Daily does a winter-only deep litter.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/10/the-deep-litter-method-of-waste.html
http://fresheggsdaily.com/2012/02/deep-litter-methodcoop-cleaning.html