Deep litter: friend or foe?

[jessica32]

I am currently in my first year of chicken raising and loving it! I live in northern Michigan and we usually have harsh winters so I decided to use the deep litter method through the winter. I thought it would be easier through those cold winter nights and am at a loss for what to do with my soiled shavings when I remove them weekly. I want to compost them but, they don't break down nearly soon enough for me. Also my dog is very interested in them and I am afraid to attract wild animals into my yard as I live in a wooded area and don't want wild animals smelling them and then trying to get into the coop. So far I have been safe with the deep litter aspect in that way but, have been plagued with ammonia smells. I have good ventilation and have started adding stall dry. I feel that I would prefer weekly coop cleanings like I did in the summer but, am still at a loss as to what to do with all of the excess shavings. My deep litter seems ready to be put in my garden now as compost but, my weekly changed shavings from the summer haven't broken down yet. Is there something better than pine shavings to use? Is there a way to do deep litter better? This winter has been especially mild for my area. Would colder temps help alleviate the ammonia smell? What do you think about deep litter? The books I have read advocate it but, posts I have read do not. Can I burn my shavings when they become excessive?

 

[Dixiedoodle]

For me? --Friend!

This was my first winter w/ chickens and it was unusally cold and wet for us! I use the deep litter method and I have a dropping board. With 9 hens, I only have to remove less than a two gal. bucket full of waste from the coop each morning. During the coldest weather, I would add a bale of shavings to the dropping board and the coop floor. Each day I just fluff the shavings on the floor..
I have been amazed at how clean the eggs are, even when the run was wet and covered w/ ice and snow.. I attribute this to having the deep litter method and the dropping board..

 

[jessica32]

Thanks for the post. What is a dropping board? I have never heard of that but am thinking that for you it made a big difference compared to me. What sort of shavings do you use?

 

[patman75]

Deep litter worked great for me in Michigan.

I have a dropping board ( a platform under the roost) with linoleum on it. Every week I scrap out the dropping on the board and the rest of the coop stays nice and dry with no smell. Every month I add another layer of pine shavings.

You can speed up the composting by putting them into a dark barrel. the extra heat will compost the deep litter much faster.

 

[patman75]

Here is what mine looks like.

 

[chauqg]

Living in Western Pa.... This is my first year to use DLM... initially used 4-5" of soft wood shavings. Had ammonia after month and half. Was told I did not have enough ventilation, I added 24 cuft of shaving and mixed it in with old shavings; never removing any bedding at this point and not ventilating and more. WHen the ammonia odor returned, I swallowed my pride and opened two 1x4' windows in the East side of the coop. The odor left and has not returned. The birds have been in the coop for 3 1/2 months, with 24" of snow they were not going out at all.

I was hard headed and thought I had enough litter and ventilation. I was totally wrong. BYC members know what they are talking about, I needed to listen to their guidance. I will not make that mistake again.

I was told if you smell ammonia you need more ventilation.... That was/is the simple truth. Everything I was told fell into place after I had enough litter on the floor (now 6-8") and added ventilation.

As I learned if you smell ammonia you need more ventilation, you dont need to remove any litter if you have enough to begin with. It will stay dry as a bone and will not smell at all. My 25 birds move it around when I spread scratch every several days.... That is my understanding and my experience.

DLM is the greatest! Have no ammonia smells and no litter problems.

Here is a look inside our coop with 4-5" of bedding (we added another 2-3" as was needed, note black "wainscoting" around coop's lower 18 inches and under the window. This lining keeps poop from between 2x4's on floor (much easier to clean). You can also see the community nest box and part of our 24' of roosts which are 18" above the floor, but lower when you take the bedding into account. There are poop boards under these roosts, but we do not need to clean/use them since the 25 birds keep it pretty well mixed up.

Cheerz

 

[greathorse]

My chickens roost over a droppings board. I have about 8 inches of litter in my coop. I have not changed it for a year. I throw some BOSS in there about twice a month. They stir the litter getting the seeds. I have lots of ventilation and I have never had a bit of ammonia odor in my coop..

I dont understand the value of deep litter in the coop if you are going to be scooping manure every day. If one is to scoop every day should probably just put in a few shavings and clean it every day.

 

[jessica32]

Thanks for all of the info so far! I really appreciated learning about the dropping board. It sounds like a great idea. I am surprised to hear about everyone who supports the deep litter method. Until now I have almost felt chastised for using it. I wanted to switch to the weekly cleanings throughout winter but was fearful of how I would deal with that during a normal winter. This one has been so mild that being able to get a wheel barrow out hasn't been a problem but, normally it would be and that's what I expected this year. I am glad to know that when I hit a regular northern Michigan winter, the deep litter method works for some people. Any more knowledge, advice, suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[pheonixstar15a]

I live a little ways from Mich., in Florida, i use shredded paper, in the nests , on the floor and in the summer when there is a lot of fallen leaves, i put the leaves on the floor. Also using chicken manure right away in your garden isnt a real good idea, you might want to wait at least a few months before using it as compost as it is very hot and needs to sit for a while before using. hope this helps. The chickens eat a little of the shredded paper, but it doesnt seem to hurt them at all everything still comes out in the end.

 

[Tala]

I may be unique, I know my coop is very different than most people's.....but my "deep litter" kinda composts itself. I mean, I keep adding 40# bags of pine pellets, and the chickens keep stirring it up and dustbathing in it.....and I swear it's not getting any deeper and the poop is going SOMEWHERE.

The extent of my cleaning = stirring it up with a garden rake whenever it seems to need it (especially after it rains) and dumping a bag of pine pellets under the roost about every month.

"Deep litter" works great for me!!



If it smells more than just a normal "animals live here" smell, then the problem is not enough ventilation! I have crammed 5 birds into a doghouse built for 4, and it never smelled bad because it's very well ventilated!!