Deep litter— what should it look like?

[Jessatiel]

Hi— I have my first chicken coop, and am using the deep litter method (with a mix of hemp and wood shavings). I’m interested in opinions on whether the litter looks normal for its stage, or not.

I have 7 hens in a coop with attached run (no free ranging). The coop (where I have the deep litter) is 10’x4’. My girls have been in the coop for about 4 months.

So far, the method seems to be functioning pretty well. The coop isn’t smelly, and I just turn everything over with a small rake, about once a week or anytime I notice concentrations of fresh poo. But it really doesn’t seem like anything is breaking down! I just see a dry mix of the litter and poo. I don’t use DE in the coop because I’ve read it could halt the composting process.

If anyone has thoughts or can share experience, I’d appreciate it.

 

[perkolator]

To me it's supposed to look exactly like that, it's how mine is.

I think the terminology needs to change in what we call it, as "Deep Litter" and "Deep Bedding" are too confusing to differentiate. Lately I've been calling it "deep DRY bedding" and it's exactly that - dry. It's not supposed to compost and break down, just dehydrate the poop so things don't smell, and be nice and deep so you don't really have to maintain it but like once a year. Even turning the bedding is too much work for me - I just toss in some chicken scratch and let them do the work for me.

If you're looking for a composting bedding, you want "Deep Litter" - which is a moist bedding type, similar to a compost pile or a forest floor. That's more of how my 2nd run is that doesn't have a roof overhead, but in my covered structure it stays dry and doesn't decompose on it's own.

 

[Jessatiel]

To me it's supposed to look exactly like that, it's how mine is.

I think the terminology needs to change in what we call it, as "Deep Litter" and "Deep Bedding" are too confusing to differentiate. Lately I've been calling it "deep DRY bedding" and it's exactly that - dry. It's not supposed to compost and break down, just dehydrate the poop so things don't smell, and be nice and deep so you don't really have to maintain it but like once a year. Even turning the bedding is too much work for me - I just toss in some chicken scratch and let them do the work for me.

If you're looking for a composting bedding, you want "Deep Litter" - which is a moist bedding type, similar to a compost pile or a forest floor. That's more of how my 2nd run is that doesn't have a roof overhead.

That’s helpful— I was not recognizing that distinction!

 

[gtaus]

To me it's supposed to look exactly like that, it's how mine is.

I think the terminology needs to change in what we call it, as "Deep Litter" and "Deep Bedding" are too confusing to differentiate. Lately I've been calling it "deep DRY bedding" and it's exactly that - dry. It's not supposed to compost and break down, just dehydrate the poop so things don't smell, and be nice and deep so you don't really have to maintain it but like once a year. Even turning the bedding is too much work for me - I just toss in some chicken scratch and let them do the work for me.

If you're looking for a composting bedding, you want "Deep Litter" - which is a moist bedding type, similar to a compost pile or a forest floor. That's more of how my 2nd run is that doesn't have a roof overhead, but in my covered structure it stays dry and doesn't decompose on it's own.

+1 Well said.

If anyone has thoughts or can share experience, I’d appreciate it.

Just want to add that I only use bedding resources I can get for free. I started off with free wood chips I got from our local county landfill and wood chips I made at home with my chippers. I have also used dry leaves that I rake up in the fall and bag for use during the winter months. Last winter, I used paper shreds which I make at home from junk mail, office paper, newspapers, light food cardboard boxes, etc... They all work well and you can intermix them if you want. The chickens don't care.

My current favorite bedding is paper shreds because I shred up almost all the paper we used to have to haul off to the recycle center in town. Better to use all that paper in the coop as bedding first, then toss it into the chicken run to compost, then add the compost to my gardens.

As mentioned, there is very little composting taking place with dry deep bedding material. I clean out my coop twice a year and toss the old bedding into the chicken run. There it gets rained on and begins the composting process. Wood chips will eventually compost, but the leaves and paper shreds compost much faster.

My chickens live inside the chicken coop during our snow months here in northern Minnesota. I usually start with a couple inches of bedding on the floor going into winter. I just add a fresh layer of paper shreds (or other bedding) about every 2 weeks (as needed) throughout the winter. My coop was built to hold as much as 12 inches deep of bedding. This spring, my bedding was about 9 inches deep before I cleaned it out.

But I have no smell issues with my coop. If any area needs to be turned over, I just toss some chicken scratch into that spot and the chickens will do all the work. Dry deep bedding is the best system I have used for my coop. Using free resources for bedding is the best. I have not paid for bedding for many years and encourage others to see if they have material at home that can be reused for bedding instead of paying for litter.

Good luck with your new chickens. It's a wonderful adventure.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. If you put your general location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice, climate matters.

If it's dry inside your coop you have Deep Bedding, not Deep Litter. Here's my article on Deep Bedding, which includes photos of what it looks like when I change it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

If it's moist outside in the run (or inside a dirt-floored, possibly Open Air style coop), you have Deep Bedding and it should look like a compost pile in progress.

 

[Ted Brown]

If it's dry inside your coop you have Deep Bedding, not Deep Litter. Here's my article on Deep Bedding, which includes photos of what it looks like when I change it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

If it's moist outside in the run (or inside a dirt-floored, possibly Open Air style coop), you have Deep Bedding and it should look like a compost pile in progress.

I think @3KillerBs meant to say "outside in the run...Deep Litter".???

 

[3KillerBs]

I think @3KillerBs meant to say "outside in the run...Deep Litter".???

You are correct.

Unfortunately, the post has aged past the editing window.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm not a fan of deep litter, or deep bedding. Ideally there should be no need for bedding on the coop floor. The chickens should be roosting on perches so bedding would seem unecessary except in the nest boxes. Currently I have a few that do sleep on the coop floor and I provided a thin layer of bedding for comfort.
The deep bedding idea is reliant on the bedding staying dry. Ime this is almost impossible if the chickens are exposed to the weather. They get wet and this sometimes provides enough moisture in a coop to make the bedding damp.

One of the most helpful indicators of a flocks health is in the poop. I clean daily, mainly so I get to look at the poop daily. With a small coop this isn't really a major chore if one is organized.

The deep bedding idea becomes a major problem in the event of a parasite problem, particularly worms. The chickens dig through the bedding and peck at it and the worm cycle just rolls on. It's also not that great for ensuring that the coop is mite free either.

There is also the matter of population density in the coop. A large coop with the recommended 4 square foot per bird may work better, but for many who have coops as roosting and egg laying only (the chickens are out in a run or free ranging during the day) some judge required coop space by room on the perch rather than room in the coop. I've always been a room on the perch style keeper because the chickens I've looked after leave the coop in the mornings and don't return until dusk, amoung other reasons.

It takes me a few minutes to clean the small roosting only coops I've used over the years. Chickens like clean.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

+1 Well said.



Just want to add that I only use bedding resources I can get for free. I started off with free wood chips I got from our local county landfill and wood chips I made at home with my chippers. I have also used dry leaves that I rake up in the fall and bag for use during the winter months. Last winter, I used paper shreds which I make at home from junk mail, office paper, newspapers, light food cardboard boxes, etc... They all work well and you can intermix them if you want. The chickens don't care.

My current favorite bedding is paper shreds because I shred up almost all the paper we used to have to haul off to the recycle center in town. Better to use all that paper in the coop as bedding first, then toss it into the chicken run to compost, then add the compost to my gardens.

As mentioned, there is very little composting taking place with dry deep bedding material. I clean out my coop twice a year and toss the old bedding into the chicken run. There it gets rained on and begins the composting process. Wood chips will eventually compost, but the leaves and paper shreds compost much faster.

My chickens live inside the chicken coop during our snow months here in northern Minnesota. I usually start with a couple inches of bedding on the floor going into winter. I just add a fresh layer of paper shreds (or other bedding) about every 2 weeks (as needed) throughout the winter. My coop was built to hold as much as 12 inches deep of bedding. This spring, my bedding was about 9 inches deep before I cleaned it out.

But I have no smell issues with my coop. If any area needs to be turned over, I just toss some chicken scratch into that spot and the chickens will do all the work. Dry deep bedding is the best system I have used for my coop. Using free resources for bedding is the best. I have not paid for bedding for many years and encourage others to see if they have material at home that can be reused for bedding instead of paying for litter.

Good luck with your new chickens. It's a wonderful adventure.

x2

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

You are correct.

Unfortunately, the post has aged past the editing window.

Its ok, your still A+ in my book 3kb's!