Deep Litter Issues

[GApeachmama]

I hand sand in the run and the coop. It was a pain. I ended switching to hemp in the coop and wood chips and hemp in the run. Now here’s where the issue comes in. I didn’t remove all the sand from the coop. My research said I don’t need to. Now it’s at least 2-3 months later and the original layer doesn’t seem to be breaking down nor does it smell. I only see poop scattered throughout the hemp. Good right? But I’m paranoid that I’m doing it wrong. I added a bit of new hemp this weekend thinking maybe I’m doing it wrong. Advice? Thanks in advance.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Is the sand layer sitting on a floor or on the bare ground? And how much sand are we talking about (an inch?) I'd be concerned about smells if any poop or moisture work its way down from the hemp, so it can't hurt to add more bedding! Once there's a nice buffer layer, I think most people only top it off if they're starting to notice a smell.

 

[GApeachmama]

Is the sand layer sitting on a floor or on the bare ground? And how much sand are we talking about (an inch?) I'd be concerned about smells if any poop or moisture work its way down from the hemp, so it can't hurt to add more bedding! Once there's a nice buffer layer, I think most people only top it off if they're starting to notice a smell.

There’s at least 2-3 inches of sand. I have 4 inches of hemp on top.

 

[welderskelter]

Clean your chicken house . Thats the way its been done for decades. Chicken houses arent meant to be self cleaning. When it gets to deep in there it breeds mites and all kind of stuff. Would you like to live in a house that never gets cleaned? Elbow grease is what you need not more bedding.Yikes!

 

[thecatumbrella]

There’s at least 2-3 inches of sand. I have 4 inches of hemp on top.

Yeah, that's a lot. I can see why you wouldn't want to remove the sand unless you had to. My guess is it's only a problem if the chickens scratch down to that layer. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Clean your chicken house . Thats the way its been done for decades. Chicken houses arent meant to be self cleaning. When it gets to deep in there it breeds mites and all kind of stuff. Would you like to live in a house that never gets cleaned? Elbow grease is what you need not more bedding.Yikes!

You're correct in that the deep litter method will be a pain if the coop becomes infested with mites (since all the bedding will need to be removed), but if done correctly, it's perfectly safe and hygienic for the birds. Plus the OP is using hemp; that stuff has magical absorption properties.

 

[Bsmac]

I use pine shavings for the coop and run. I also use poop boards in the coop. I only have to change bedding in the coop twice , spring and fall. I change bedding in the run about once a month to a month and a half in warm weather. When it starts to smell I change it! About every two months during cold weather or longer. I scoop poop in the run every day. I tried deep litter in the coop and I did not care for it. In order for composting to work well more moisture would have to be added then during the winter too much moisture then you have to worry about frostbite if you live in a cold climate! This setup has worked well for me!

 

[GApeachmama]

I use pine shavings for the coop and run. I also use poop boards in the coop. I only have to change bedding in the coop twice , spring and fall. I change bedding in the run about once a month to a month and a half in warm weather. When it starts to smell I change it! About every two months during cold weather or longer. I scoop poop in the run every day. I tried deep litter in the coop and I did not care for it. In order for composting to work well more moisture would have to be added then during the winter too much moisture then you have to worry about frostbite if you live in a cold climate! This setup has worked well for me!

I was really hesitant to use pine shavings. I went with hemp because of all the good things I heard during my research. So far I’m not noticing any moisture accumulation. Which is great but that what’s also making me worry. I’ll keep going as I am. I’ll just add more hemp at least 1x per month. Worse case scenario it never really breaks down and I end up pulling it out. I have 9 chickens in a 25 sq ft coop. So maintenance isn’t overwhelming at this point.

 

[GApeachmama]

Yeah, that's a lot. I can see why you wouldn't want to remove the sand unless you had to. My guess is it's only a problem if the chickens scratch down to that layer. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.


You're correct in that the deep litter method will be a pain if the coop becomes infested with mites (since all the bedding will need to be removed), but if done correctly, it's perfectly safe and hygienic for the birds. Plus the OP is using hemp; that stuff has magical absorption properties.

I had more sand but pulled it out when putting in the hemp. I’m wondering if the hemp is better than I expected. Of course that would cause me anxiety. I’m ridiculously vigilant about my babies. And I want to get this right. They deserve the best life I can reasonably provide.

 

[StinkyAcres]

If your coop doesn't have a dirt floor you're better off doing the deep bedding method (no moisture) and keeping it dry. Dry poop = fewer pests and a lot less mess. In the run, the litter will break down into the ground eventually, but it may be slower if you have a roof on the run or the ground is dry. In my opinion, drier is always better when it comes to chickens. The only downside is you'll have to do a little more work to make compost out of the litter.