Deep Litter method or Sand??

[Lelilamom]

Yes but see they are let out to free range they arnt penned up in the run so all of that poo doesn't build up. Like my coop I have 21 chickens in a 4x8 coop and I have to clean it every 2-3 days because the poo just builds up in huge clumps.


And how big is your coop you said with that many hens. If yo said 8 foot like a 4x8 that's way to small for that many hens that might be big enough for 12. But I am thinking you meant 8x8 that should be big enough as long as you have enough roosts space.

Our coop is 6x8x8 and our run is 25x6x8.

 

[Betty1964]

Wow, I have spoiled hens! For 28 birds, I have a 10x16x14 coop and a 16x32x8 run.

 

[Domom]

Hi guys I originally posted this to another thread then came across this one which seemed to be addressing similar topic.
I'm very new to raising chickens and have been reading lots of good stuff on here, but this is my first post. We are getting ready to build our 4 girls a coop and run on an existing 8x10 concrete pad in our yard and plan to use sand in the run (construction sand is the plan, from a local gravel yard). The walls of the run are on pavers which will set it a little above the concrete pad and the pad is surrounded by a gravel border, so I have my fingers crossed that it will drain well. I've read in several posts here that wet sand will smell bad and it's been super wet in South Texas lately. Will PDZ work to keep the smell down and dry the sand faster, and do you think that there are any pros/cons to using a natural coop deodorizer like a vinegar and essential oil spray when I clean out the run and coop, which I do daily. We have a small coop now and run now and I have definitely noticed an odor in the run when it has rained for a couple of days. Just trying to be a conscientious neighbor and keep everything as clean and fresh as possible. Total newbie so any info is appreciated.

 

[Hbohm74]

Thank you Betty, I am definitely going to use Sweet PDZ, in conjunction with Sand.

I am also planning to use sand and sweet PDZ, both in my coop and in the run. This will be my first time owning chickens personally, though I worked at a chicken farm for 8 months.

I'm in Austin, so hello neighbor!

With the Deep Litter Method inside a coop, I'm concerned with the amount of moisture/ammonia that will build up from the droppings just staying inside. I have seen chickens with respiratory issues before, and from what I researched seemed to be due to moisture and the amount of ammonia in the air. Has anyone experienced a problem similar to this when using the DLM?

 

[henless]

I live in East Texas & I've been doing Deep Litter for the last 3 years. I love it!! It never smells. I clean out my coops in the Spring and toss everything into the runs. I pull the compost out of the runs as I need to for my garden. Works great!!

I just added some fresh leaves this past week.




I have large, open air coops. No walls, only hardware cloth on all 4 sides. Make sure you have plenty of ventilation & shade in your coops for your chickens. The heat is what will stress them out. Even as open as my coops are, I still have to put out fans to help with the heat in the Summer.

My coops take up one side of our old 30x30 barn. I turned 3 of my horse stalls into coops and added runs to each coop.



In the Winter, I add clear plastic to the North & West walls. This puts up a wind break, & the chickens do fine during the Winter.

 

[Hbohm74]

I'm in Austin with six pullets who recently moved out to our coop/covered run. We use sand in both the coop and the run and on a hot Texas summer day the ladies *love* to dig a shallow, cool spot in the sand. Highly recommend going with sand in our climate!

Hi @Anujin ,

How often do you clean out your sand run, and what method do you use?

I'm in Austin as well and debating between sand or the deep litter method in my run. I already have sand in my coop with my 5 chicks. (They are 2 weeks old and I'm using the Mama Heating Pad to raise them right in the coop!).

Thanks!

 

[azygous]

I have sand runs and also sand in my coops. I clean the poop out of the sand regularly with a metal cat box scooper.

If you are asking about changing the sand from old and used to new, it's an arduous process, and after several years of having the same sand in my run, I did shovel it all out and put in new, clean sand. The reason I did this was because it had become unbearably dusty due to my having mixed decomposed sandstone with construction sand over a loose clay soil.

If you put in sand over a non-dusty soil, you probably won't have the problems I had. Now I just keep adding to the sand in coop and run and it stays relatively clean and non-dusty.

The thing I love about sand is it's so easy to keep the poop picked up, and the chickens love it for dirt bathing and digging. It also acts as a heat sink in winter, adding warmth, and in summer, I can wet it down and achieve an evaporation effect. The chickens like to hunker down in the cool damp sand to cool off. If your climate is extremely humid, though, this might not work to your advantage to wet it down. But it still makes a great bedding for the chickens.

 

[tomphot]

I have a 400 sqft covered run for my 8 chickens with sand. Cleaning the run is very easy with my horse stall rack. I added some hardwire cloth to its do it does a great job of sifting the poop.

 

[JackHammer]

Henless, your run looks very similar to mine but I have been at it for less than a year and live in the northeast. I put a tin roof over the run late this summer and also added a bunch of leaves this fall. i noticed that now that the run is protected from the rain and I have no more grass clippings to add the run is getting very dusty. So far the smell is under control. Your run is still composting even though it is covered?
Thanks

 

[Hootenany]

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