Deep Litter in Run and How to Keep Clean

[MaggieRose2001]

Hi.

I am a new chicken owner and my chickens have been in their coop/run for a couple months now. I am wondering what do people put in their runs and how do you keep it clean? We have 10 laying hens - they all have names and my daughter bring chairs into the run and hold them a few times a week. Yes - we are one of those people who treat their animals like part of the family.

The run is on dirt/gravel and I put down some pine shavings and pellets that I bought for the coop but didn't like - I went with Koop Clean instead. I clean the coop on a daily basis, but after a few weeks the run starts to get poopy and the chickens feet start getting really dirty (especially the cochins). We live in Maine and it rains and snows a lot. It is a covered run and I plan on putting hay in there over the winter to help keep it warm.

Anyway - I just didn't know what most people do to keep the floor of the coop clean and the poopy feet at a minimum. I am doing deep litter in the coop and loving it - it is staying clean, doesn't smell. Is there a way to do deep litter in the run or is it better to haul out the bedding every month or so? I read where someone puts activated carbon/charcoal in the run to facilitate composting and raise the carbon. Does anyone have thoughts on that?

Thanks for your time.

 

[RoyalChick]

I bring in piles of fallen leaves from the yard. The chickens love it and spread it around. They stir things up so it all stays pretty clean.
My run is covered but driving rain and snow come in at the edges and there it turns to real compost. In the dry parts it all just desiccated.
Every now and then I dig out a bucket full and put it in the roses.

 

[MaggieRose2001]

I bring in piles of fallen leaves from the yard. The chickens love it and spread it around. They stir things up so it all stays pretty clean.
My run is covered but driving rain and snow come in at the edges and there it turns to real compost. In the dry parts it all just desiccated.
Every now and then I dig out a bucket full and put it in the roses.

I know - I have heard about leaves. What's funny is I literally hauled two trailer loads of leaves to the dump while making room for the coop. This was before I knew to use them in the run! Now, I am just anxiously waiting for fall to come so I can have leaves again. =)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Deep litter is ideal for many runs, and conversely gravel is one of the worst choices.

Are you truly doing deep litter inside the coop, or deep bedding? Deep litter is fairly rare in the coop as it's a composting system and requires a certain amount of moisture and direct ground contact to function optimally.

 

[InterestingChickens]

If you have a rocks/stones in the run, they can cut themselves and this may cause bumble foot. Check your chickens if they have it and then remove the rubble before putting down the deep litter.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is my article on Deep Bedding -- a dry, non-composting system -- used in the coop. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

I use Deep Litter -- a moist, actively-composting system -- in the run. I don't have to clean it, it cleans itself through the composting action when I have the right balance of poop, dry organic material, and moisture.

I will remove compost for the garden when needed in the future, but haven't taken anything out of the current run in over a year.

 

[Sally PB]

I use Deep Litter -- a moist, actively-composting system -- in the run. I don't have to clean it, it cleans itself through the composting action when I have the right balance of poop, dry organic material, and moisture.

I will remove compost for the garden when needed in the future, but haven't taken anything out of the current run in over a year.

I live in Michigan, which is a very different climate than @3KillerBs. I do essentially this same thing. I add dry leaves in the fall, garden weeds this time of year, grass clippings when we have them. I'll be adding some wood chips later this year, when we have some trees taken down (I'll let the chips dry out before putting them in the run). I plan to get a bale of straw to add to the run this fall too.

I scoop up some of the bigger poops in the run to add to the scooped poop from the coop, which I add to my garden compost bin. (Mostly so I don't step in the big ones between the coop door and run door.).

Unless a chicken has just dropped a cecal poop, neither my run nor coop smell.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

In addition to the items mentioned above (leaves, hay), wood chips made a great addition to the run to help keep things from getting muddy and keep the chicken's feet cleaner.

On charcoal (or bio-char as it is sometimes called) - it's not so much that it adds carbon like in a compost pile, but the stuff is great at cutting odor by trapping excess nitrogen. Once you start harvesting the compost for your garden, the char will pay additional dividends on that end, releasing that excess nitrogen and providing a nice living environment for soil micro-biology.

 

[MaggieRose2001]

Deep litter is ideal for many runs, and conversely gravel is one of the worst choices.

Are you truly doing deep litter inside the coop, or deep bedding? Deep litter is fairly rare in the coop as it's a composting system and requires a certain amount of moisture and direct ground contact to function optimally.

So… I totally agree with you about gravel which is why I’m trying to find out what to put in there. As for the coop - ya, I have no idea. I am new to composting - really have no idea how not works. So probably just deep bedding. I put a large amount to begin with. I stir it every so often and I put new bedding in as the faintest hint of a smell - usually every 3 or so weeks.

 

[MaggieRose2001]

If you have a rocks/stones in the run, they can cut themselves and this may cause bumble foot. Check your chickens if they have it and then remove the rubble before putting down the deep litter.

I had no idea - thank you for the warning.