Deep Litter in dry chicken run

[fightingbunny]

If you have a chicken run that will be very dry, does that mean that the deep litter method will not work? Doesn't compost need water? Do you just spray it periodically to get it moist?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I am in Maryland I do deep litter in my run. It gets wet when it rains, dries out in between, and it still decomposes. I don't have water near my run and coop so I can't spray it down. The only moisture it really gets is from the weather and morning dew and the moisture in the poo.

 

[fightingbunny]

Okay, so even with a roof over the run, there is enough moisture in the soil and from dew to help it decompose? The coop is on a sandy hill and the soil does not stay wet like it does below the hill.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Ah okay so it is covered... well, even the litter (coop clean-out, grass clippings, leaves, pine needles, etc) that go under the covered 10x10 section of my run decomposes so I will say yes. My soil is also mostly sand, at least for the first couple feet, and well draining. After a good rain the uncovered part dries out quickly, within a day or two of sun. I have recently started putting down hay in there when I don't have enough grass clippings and even that decomposes very quickly.

 

[fightingbunny]

What happens if you just grab leaves and throw them in there? Is it necessary to shred them? I can't imagine how long it would take to gather and shred enough leaves to leave a 2 inch pile across my run!!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Well usually I just run them over with the lawn mower lol

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What happens if you just grab leaves and throw them in there? Is it necessary to shred them? I can't imagine how long it would take to gather and shred enough leaves to leave a 2 inch pile across my run!!

I use whole leaves, the chickens break them up with their scratching/they naturally break down

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Our run has a roof and we do deep litter. For the most part it stays dry but enough rain blows in to facilitate break down.

 

[Michelle A.]

We are building a tractor coop with a separate run that is movable. we are getting four chickens. What is a deep litter method?

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Deep Litter is a mixture of plant/natural materials used to make a deep 'carpet' on the ground in the run (or dirt floor coop). The materials, along with the manure, breaks down into beautiful compost.

We use straw, hay, grass clippings, leaves, landscape weeds, veggies, fruit and pine needles. We only need to clean the run out once a year, so it becomes quite deep. There is no odor or flies.