Deep Litter in Run and How to Keep Clean

[BecaHawaii]

Okay, so one more question for you all. Do you put food scraps in the run just directly on the floor? Do you go back and pick up whatever they don't eat? I have been giving them bits of chopped veggies from cooking - not really leftovers from meals. But I take them out in a pan and then pick up whatever they don't eat. I guess I am too much of a clean freak - I figure it would start to stink if I just left it out there. Is that what the whole composting is suppose to do is make it not stink? Would it be better if I left it there?

Oh and one more- this winter I am planning on putting a bunch of hay/straw down to insulate from the cold. Would I leave that in there after winter is done or just try to remove it from the top of the other layers of wood chips and such once spring comes?

I put them in containers. Although I have no idea why. They just grab them and put them in the dirt anyway. I never pick up what is left. I feed them all our chicken carcasses, turkey carcasses, ribs, etc. So every 3 months or so I go in and clean out the bones. LOL Today I did a mashed melon/worm mix and they just flipped it all over from the three pans and are it in the dirt.

As far as the cold. My whole coop is open. I can not help you.

 

[BecaHawaii]

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 slightly disagree with this. My free-range run-around on lava all day. Also, I put rocks in my coop to help with not getting bumble. They need different surfaces, textures, on their feet.

 

[InterestingChickens]

I slightly disagree with this. My free-range run-around on lava all day. Also, I put rocks in my coop to help with not getting bumble. They need different surfaces, textures, on their feet.

Chickens get bumble foot because they cut themselves. Are you saying that a chicken who is on sand all day - for an example, will get bumble foot? If a chicken doesn't have an injury no infection can enter their feet. Some people have the luxury of letting your chickens free range - such as you. Because they are free ranging they have less off a chance to step in their droppings, there for less chance of infection.

 

[BecaHawaii]

Chickens get bumble foot because they cut themselves. Are you saying that a chicken who is on sand all day - for an example, will get bumble foot? If a chicken doesn't have an injury no infection can enter their feet. Some people have the luxury of letting your chickens free range - such as you. Because they are free ranging they have less off a chance to step in their droppings, there for less chance of infection.

Actually my cooped chickens don't free range. Ever.

 

[BecaHawaii]

Chickens get bumble foot because they cut themselves. Are you saying that a chicken who is on sand all day - for an example, will get bumble foot? If a chicken doesn't have an injury no infection can enter their feet. Some people have the luxury of letting your chickens free range - such as you. Because they are free ranging they have less off a chance to step in their droppings, there for less chance of infection.

I think the more surfaces cooped chickens have for their feet, the better their feet are.

 

[InterestingChickens]

My free-range run-around on lava all day.

Is this meant to mean you let them free range in the run then? That's not free ranging. That's confined ranging. When I first got chickens I had a lot of rubble in the run. I have since removed it. I have not gotten another bumble foot case since then.

 

[BecaHawaii]

Is this meant to mean you let them free range in the run then? That's not free ranging. That's confined ranging. When I first got chickens I had a lot of rubble in the run. I have since removed it. I have not gotten another bumble foot case since then.

I have free-range chickens. And coop chickens. We can't let out egg layers out of the coop because in Hawaii there are 1000’s of wild chickens. I live in a rural area. No fenced yards, wild pigs, dogs & cats everywhere. My egg layers stay in the coop. My free-range are just yard birds. They roost in the trees but we supplement their diet.

We live on a lava bed mauka of the Kona airport.

What has worked for my chickens may not work for yours.

 

[InterestingChickens]

I have free-range chickens. And coop chickens. We can't let out egg layers out of the coop because in Hawaii there are 1000’s of wild chickens. I live in a rural area. No fenced yards, wild pigs, dogs & cats everywhere. My egg layers stay in the coop. My free-range are just yard birds. They roost in the trees but we supplement their diet.

We live on a lava bed mauka of the Kona airport.

What has worked for my chickens may not work for yours.

I assume your egg layers would have some substrate in their run. Because your free ranging chickens are free ranging they have less off a chance to step in their droppings, there for less chance of infection.

 

[BecaHawaii]

I assume your egg layers would have some substrate in their run. Because your free ranging chickens are free ranging they have less off a chance to step in their droppings, there for less chance of infection.

Yes. Deep bed.

 

[BecaHawaii]

I assume your egg layers would have some substrate in their run. Because your free ranging chickens are free ranging they have less off a chance to step in their droppings, there for less chance of infection.

Because there is no actual floor (i.e. wood, linoleum, etc) They just turn it back into the lava bed underneath. We have to keep adding dirt.