deep litter issue..possibly..

[mike48851]

You will always learn more with chickens. I have 2 runs. I don't deep litter in the coop itself but my situation is very different; I'm sub~tropical. I deep litter in the coop run & with 12 birds in 2 months I have 3~4 inches of litter in the run. I clean the coop every other day. I am now throwing my litter into the 2nd run, which is much larger. If I were you I think I would bite the bullet & expand before you have winter issues when it sounds like you won't be able to fix problems.

Yes ma'am. Sounds like you are busy! I'm going on a little camping trip this weekend and after this weekend I plan to put a renovation plan together. Good thing I have a lot of summer time left!

The input is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Ribh]

Yes ma'am. Sounds like you are busy! I'm going on a little camping trip this weekend and after this weekend I plan to put a renovation plan together. Good thing I have a lot of summer time left!

The input is appreciated. Thank you.

Lol I'm basically lazy. My coop is designed for an easy rake out straight into the run where the girls constantly turn it over & I can harvest it easily for the garden.

 

[aart]

This is frustrating. Haha. I did a fair amount of research and threw this together thinking it was great. Now I’m second guessing it and finding out issues. Owell. Live and ya learn

Indeed!

Good thing I have a lot of summer time left!

There ya go!

Might want to even start over, build a big walk in coop....save this one for adding more birds next year, or as an isolation coop.

 

[danceswithronin]

Just ignore those prefab coops. The numbers are absurd. Ask anybody here!

I bought a pre-fab coop and while I loved the look of it in the beginning, it is SUCH a flimsy piece of sh*t and I'm having to spend over a grand to rebuild my coop this summer to get something that is actually serviceable for more than two or three birds. I had four bantam silkies in it last summer and I felt like even they were a bit cramped.

I'd never buy another one, and as soon as my new coop is built I'm tearing the old one down or using it for a grow-out pen.

 

[mike48851]

Lol I'm basically lazy. My coop is designed for an easy rake out straight into the run where the girls constantly turn it over & I can harvest it easily for the garden.

very nice. Mine free range all day, so I wonder about throwing all the bedding into the run. They just don't spend much time in there...

 

[Ribh]

very nice. Mine free range all day, so I wonder about throwing all the bedding into the run. They just don't spend much time in there...

You can easily turn it over with a fork when you clean & I also throw in leaf litter & that sort of thing.

 

[Leeab]

Hey,

So, my chickens are just about 10 weeks now. This is my first flock. I built my coop myself and I have been pretty happy with how it turned out. It's nothing fancy, but offers everything the chickens need. I have 5 hens (2 RIR, 2 ISA Browns, and a leghorn) and the coop is 5'x4', including nest box area. I have been wanting to do the deep litter method. However, the bigger these birds are getting, the more worried I am that I did not make my coop ceiling tall enough. It is going to be a complete pain to raise the roof, but I have a feeling it is going to have to be done. It is a sloped roof. From the floor to the celing, at the highest point is 38", and the smallest area is about 24".

now, without the deep litter method, I am worried its not tall enough...And adding anywhere from 4-12" of litter to the floor is taking away even more head space.

So, opinions encouraged. Should I bite the bullet and raise the roof or will it be fine how it is? Should I not do the deep litter? (it doesn't matter to me, cleaning out the coop is no big deal, but I have read that deep litter done correctly is healthy and warm here in Michigan for the chickens)

Thank you

Do deep bedding in winter for warmth.. just keep turning the top best u can. Then add. Even in winter your still going to have to clean it when it starts turn smelling really bad. That can kill them.. put out in pen. Put more on top.. smaller the coop with reason will stay warm easier..

 

[Rogers BY Farm]

My deep layer is great. Never gets more than 4-5 inches. I clean it out spring and fall. Girls are in from sunset to dawn. Before you expand check that you have 8-10 inches of perch room each and good ventilation toward the top of the coop. Cleaning coop every few days I don’t want to go back to that.

 

[Cryss]

Honestly, the roost bar isn’t trrribly close to the wall. 7 1/2”. I feel that 12” and it won’t be high enough or they’ll be hitting their heads (time to raise the roof).

Exactly. 12 inches and there's no head room. 8 inches and there's no butt room. Nest area should not be included in your dimension calculations of 4sqft/bird. Roost should be 13 inches per bird and higher than nests and very sturdy, not swinging. When standing tall on the roosts the ventilation should be well above their heads so there are no drafts.
I agree with @aart , you might be better off building a bigger coop.

 

[Cryss]

I'm really curious about deep litter in a coop with a floor. I might be using Blackjack 57 on my new coop floor. I read conflicting reports on dl on a floor. I will have poop boards probably with pdz and the floor will have pine shavings. I'm following to see how this works out. Good luck!