Deep litter: friend or foe?

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
Jessica,
I am new to chicken-keeping too as of July 2009, I have 14 chickens. I used to change the litter in my coop every weekend too, UNTIL I had my husband install a droppings board underneath our roosts (see photo below). We live in a very wooded, predator-full area and I was dumping our shavings in the woods behind the coop with no problems from predators. HOWEVER, I was paying a fortune in pine shavings (relatively speaking) every month before installing the droppings board. The board is just a little shelf that collects the poop overnight when the girlz are on their roost. In the morning I just take a drywall scraper and scrape the poop into a buket and put it in my garden or the woods with the shavings that are already there. I have not found it necessary to put shavings on the board at all UNLESS one of the poops is particularly runny, then I just scoop up a little handful of shavings from the floor and throw it on top of the messy area after I've scraped it down. I now use AT LEAST 2/3 less shavings than I used to and the coop always smells fresh as a daisy (after scraping, of course). Can't recommend a droppings board highly enough!

 

[blueskylen]

i use deep litter with the broilers for the 8 weeks that we keep them in a large coop - i lay down a thick layer of newspaper on the wood floor - sprinkle with DE - straw - then each day - sprinkle of De - new straw, etc. the litter does warm up a bit as it gets deeper , but does not smell and the chickens stay nice and clean. when I pitchfork clean the pen after processing the broilers - the bottom layers of newspaper keeps the floor from being dirty. A spray out with the hose and all is cleaned up.

 

[rufus]

The deep litter method works if you are in a cooler climate, but here in Arizona it doesn't. The decaying litter and poop produces a lot of heat and flies. I find it more advantageous to clean the coop every week or so. I use this as fertilizer on my citrus trees. But beware, it is very hot. You must wash it down real good or it will burn your plants.

Rufus

 

[tammyd57]

Quote:
I don't live in a cool climate. It stays over 100 degrees here all summer and fall. I use deep litter on a dirt floor and it works great. I don't have flies or smell at all. Ventilation is key.

 

[Uzuri]

I can't help you, but I also couldn't contain myself any more...

I've read the title of this thread as Deep-fried litter three times now, and I just don't want to be alone in imagining that horrific thing any more.

 

[txchickie]

Quote:
Same. It gets hotter than hades here and I use the DLM on a dirt floor. I use lots and lots of DE, I haven't changed the shavings out in my coop in forever, and I've added only about 1 bag the entire winter.

 

[jojo54]

We were trying the deep litter method but found the shaving got fairly packed. I read on this thread about throwing in scratch. We started doing that at night when we shut the coop door to give the girls something to do until we open the door in the morning as it is getting lighter earlier and earlier. Well so far so good! They scratch up the shaving and it stirs up the poop and keeps the shavings loose. What a great idea to have the girls do their own work. (They can help with the chores anytime they want!

 

[bonniebe]

jessica, where are you at in northern michigan? greetings from petoskey. bonnie

 

[jessica32]

Hi Bonnie. I'm in Alpena.

 

[Chicken Hobbyist]

My coop has a plywood bottom. Will the composting of the litter rot the wood?