Coop Design and Setup

[jeria]

thanks. will do

 

[TominWa]

I have sturdy painted plywood.

Deep litter needs to be on the dirt. As in a dirt floor coop. Now for me that was a NO. I had that in the country and was not happy about snakes coming in.
The rattler was the final straw for me.

I just learned that the hard way. Tried it over concrete.....didn't work out at all.

 

[sas212]

I just learned that the hard way. Tried it over concrete.....didn't work out at all.

Can you expound on that; why didn't it work over concrete? I have a little chicken house sitting inside an existing dog kennel (6'x6' chain link panels on a concrete pad). I've planned to build a roof over the kennel, and enclose the floor around the bottom of the kennel with 1"x 6" as a barrier to keep the litter in the run. I had originally planned to get a yard of construction sand but was considering the DLM also. Would it work over the layer of concrete sand to wick away moisture and have a way for water to drain?

 

[TominWa]

Can you expound on that; why didn't it work over concrete? I have a little chicken house sitting inside an existing dog kennel (6'x6' chain link panels on a concrete pad). I've planned to build a roof over the kennel, and enclose the floor around the bottom of the kennel with 1"x 6" as a barrier to keep the litter in the run. I had originally planned to get a yard of construction sand but was considering the DLM also. Would it work over the layer of concrete sand to wick away moisture and have a way for water to drain?

i have two parts to my coup a 6x8 concrete area and a little 3x8 dirt floor area next to it. All inside the coup, not part of the run. I thought it would be ideal for a deep liter method. Three weeks into it the concrete was constantly wet, rotting pine shavings, despite ventilation - stinking. The dirt floor area was just fine.

Yes I was raking it. Yes I was adding more material. I was trying to do everything right, I just don't think it works over concrete. If somebody is able to make it work more power too them. I went away from it.

 

[21hens-incharge]

The deep litter method counts on natural decomposition. That means that moisture runs through into the earth below and the nutrients draw in organisms to speed the decomposition. If there is a barrier be it wood or concrete the natural decomposition organisms cannot properly do their job. They simply have no way in.

Think of it like putting gloves on then applying lotion. Simply not effective.

 

[aart]

Hello! So we've moved onto 5 acres and there is a shed that we are converting into our coop. We live in southeast Missouri where the summers are hot and humid and the winters are cold and rainy with occasional snow. The floor of the shed is wooden and is elevated so I'm wondering what we should do for the floor. I want to do the deep litter method, but husband doesn't seem too enthusiastic about it. He'd rather put plywood down and put straw or hay over top and call it done. What would you do since there's wooden planks for the floor of the coop?

Welcome to BYC!

There are almost as many ways to floor and bed a coop as there are chicken keepers. Manure management plays a big part in how to bed the coop.
Look around, see what you think....you may try several things before you hit on what works best for you.

I use poops boards under roosts, vinyl over plywood with shavings on floor in coop, and deep litter in the run.

Pics of the existing coop and floor might help here.
Also how elevated is the coop and do you plan to have a run??

Here's some good info on deep litter:
Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

..and how I do poop boards:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/6...raphic-gross-poop-pictures/1100#post_13179595

 

[sas212]

Mehh from what I've researched, as long as you keep it dry and turn it over at least once a week it should be fine. I live in an area with a very dry atmosphere...I think that makes a difference.

 

[jeria]

Welcome to BYC!

There are almost as many ways to floor and bed a coop as there are chicken keepers. Manure management plays a big part in how to bed the coop.
Look around, see what you think....you may try several things before you hit on what works best for you.

I use poops boards under roosts, vinyl over plywood with shavings on floor in coop, and deep litter in the run.

The links apparently are not working yet.

Pics of the existing coop and floor might help here.
Also how elevated is the coop and do you plan to have a run??

Here's some good info on deep litter:
Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

..and how I do poop boards:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/6...raphic-gross-poop-pictures/1100#post_13179595

 

[aart]

Mehh from what I've researched, as long as you keep it dry and turn it over at least once a week it should be fine. I live in an area with a very dry atmosphere...I think that makes a difference.

Dry will not rot/compost/breakdown......
....dry is not true composting Deep Litter, but deep bedding.
It can get confusing.

I have deep bedding in my coop using pine shavings. It stays dry, absorbs poop moisture...then once or twice a year all that goes out into the run where I have a cold composting deep litter.

 

[jeria]

Dry will not rot/compost/breakdown......
....dry is not true composting Deep Litter, but deep bedding.
It can get confusing.

I have deep bedding in my coop using pine shavings. It stays dry, absorbs poop moisture...then once or twice a year all that goes out into the run where I have a cold composting deep litter.

Aart, thanks for the clarifying answer to my question before I asked it. I was beginning to get confused. My plan is to use the deep bedding with pine shavings in the coop and am adding a large clean out door on the north side, easy access to the compost bin. That door will be blocked during the winter with straw bales to help protect the coop from the north winds.