- Feb 7, 2010
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We are in the process of building a chook house & yard for our 6 rapidly growing chickens (plus one new big chook we rescued!) The plan is this: A 3-sided chook house, facing north & sheltered from the wind, opening into a predator-proof yard that has a few banana trees in the corner and a lot of bare dirt!
My questions are:
1. Deep Litter on earthern floor, or sand (?) on wooden floor?: Not sure whether to elevate the pen off the ground to help reduce vermin access and cover it with coarse river sand perhaps, or whether to have a dirt floor & deep litter? The dirt floor apparently improves the composting of the deep litter by contact with microbes in soil? The chook house will open directly into the yard (i.e. no door). Should I use a barrier along the ground (if pen is on dirt) to stop the stuff spilling out into the yard. Ive also heard that with deep litter it only needs to be cleaned out every 6-12 months which sounds perfect! But Ive also heard it needs to be cleaned out more regularly if its on a wooden floor. (Oh, our chooks will also be partially free-ranging.) I definitely want material on the floor that can then be moved to our compost pile or directly to the garden. Ive heard that deep litter is brilliant turned into a no-dig garden or similar. Not so sure what wed do with the sand?
2. The yard: Its completely dirt, because weve recently removed a massive amount of huge weeds. Any ideas for how I can improve the soil, or what I should do? I know the chooks would eventually get it down to bare soil anyway. Should I scatter some seed over it now so some green can grow before they move into the yard, or should I just scatter straw over the yard? Friends of ours throw just about everything into the yard for their chooks (all their vegie scraps, weeds etc). The chooks scratch through it all, then it gets moved onto the compost pile to finish off. Does this sound like a good idea?
Keen for all comments & suggestions!!
Karen (COMPLETE novice!!)
My questions are:
1. Deep Litter on earthern floor, or sand (?) on wooden floor?: Not sure whether to elevate the pen off the ground to help reduce vermin access and cover it with coarse river sand perhaps, or whether to have a dirt floor & deep litter? The dirt floor apparently improves the composting of the deep litter by contact with microbes in soil? The chook house will open directly into the yard (i.e. no door). Should I use a barrier along the ground (if pen is on dirt) to stop the stuff spilling out into the yard. Ive also heard that with deep litter it only needs to be cleaned out every 6-12 months which sounds perfect! But Ive also heard it needs to be cleaned out more regularly if its on a wooden floor. (Oh, our chooks will also be partially free-ranging.) I definitely want material on the floor that can then be moved to our compost pile or directly to the garden. Ive heard that deep litter is brilliant turned into a no-dig garden or similar. Not so sure what wed do with the sand?
2. The yard: Its completely dirt, because weve recently removed a massive amount of huge weeds. Any ideas for how I can improve the soil, or what I should do? I know the chooks would eventually get it down to bare soil anyway. Should I scatter some seed over it now so some green can grow before they move into the yard, or should I just scatter straw over the yard? Friends of ours throw just about everything into the yard for their chooks (all their vegie scraps, weeds etc). The chooks scratch through it all, then it gets moved onto the compost pile to finish off. Does this sound like a good idea?
Keen for all comments & suggestions!!
Karen (COMPLETE novice!!)
