Deep litter method Vs. Traditional Cleaning

[adgcountrygirl]

I did deep litter my first year. Spring cleaning was a pain, I was terrified it would catch on fire even though I only had one heat lamp well above 3 feet from the floor and keeping the water clean was a several times a day kind of battle even with a raised base. Boo in my book, but you might have better luck.

 

[av8torcrj]

I tried the deep litter method in my new coop that had a sand floor over which I placed hay, dried grass clippings and leaf mulch. Definitely a boo from me too using THESE materials. The coop is well ventilated and despite turning the cover regularly and adding more, the ammonia smell became overpowering regardless. I was cussing up a storm as I shoveled the stuff I'd dragged in there out ( while struggling to breath and remain conscious) telling myself this method must have been developed by someone simply too lazy or too busy to do a daily cleaning. Before anybody goes chicko-loco on me, I'm sure perhaps a more absorbent material such as wood shavings might give a better result but I can't afford to buy bags of chips just for the birds to poop in. Now just a daily rake under the perches gives me a small wheelbarrow load of nice fertilizer that I use for my garden. The coop is fresh, clean and virtually odorless.

 

[Beekissed]

Yeah...wrong materials and in the wrong way will produce a wrong result. You won't want sand under it...it absorbs moisture and holds it...and it lies there and stinks. Not many bugs like to live in sand either and certainly no worms, so sand isn't the best base for deep litter. You'll want to encourage the types of bugs that will consume feces and rotten carbonaceous materials and sand prohibits that .

The hay, grass and such were another misstep, as you seem to have realized, but you don't have to buy a lot of shavings to create good deep litter....a bag or so a year, which works out to $10-$14 is all I use in a 8x10 coop...the rest of my materials are leaves, pine needles, twigs, even flower trimmings. If you live in a moist, humid climate, use dry materials. If you live in an arid, dry climate you can get by with using grass clippings, hay, etc.

It's not about being lazy, it's about working smarter, not harder, and developing a habitat instead of just housing.

 

[av8torcrj]

Understood. I had high hopes of having my chickens manage my compost pile for me but as is obvious I made some mistakes. I felt like the sand base would drain better, not thinking it would hold moisture nor deprive the necessary microbes of an adequate habitat ( its actually a sandy soil, not pure beach sand). The reality is moving a little poop daily is likely less strain on my bad back than a huge pile bi-yearly. I take full responsibility for my failure. The " lazy" comment was strictly out of frustration while still somewhat asphyxiated by ammonia and not meant to be condescending nor accusatory.

 

[Beekissed]

No worries! And if you are doing it right, you'll not need to clean it out...ever. I haven't cleaned out mine in a year and a half. The litter just turns into soil and gets digested into the land. I don't intend to ever clean mine out, although I plan to sample some of it for making my own growing/potting soil this year and also a little of it for each bedded plant in the garden this year. A little will go a long, long way.

But clean it out all the way? Never! It's too valuable right where it is to take it away.

 

[av8torcrj]

Another issue in my instance is overload. The area I'm talking about is 12x12 and is simply a roosting area. 60 plus birds roost there at night after spending the day on range. That square footage is likely too small for the volume of poop they drop on a nightly basis. Put a typical homestead 3-10 birds in there and it would likely be a different story.

 

[Beekissed]

Another issue in my instance is overload. The area I'm talking about is 12x12 and is simply a roosting area. 60 plus birds roost there at night after spending the day on range. That square footage is likely too small for the volume of poop they drop on a nightly basis. Put a typical homestead 3-10 birds in there and it would likely be a different story.

Yeah....that's a big problem. Should have one third of the birds in that space, even just for sleeping, to have healthy air and environment. You might want to reconsider that high of a stocking rate if you'd have a healthy flock in the future.

 

[Quack House]

Just how smelly is the deep litter method?

 

[Beekissed]

Mine is lacking in any smelly aroma whatsoever...even in hot, humid weather. You can pick up handful of it and put your nose right into it and all you will smell is damp, earthy smells. Like as if you picked up some soil and leaf litter from the forest floor.

 

[Quack House]

Mine is lacking in any smelly aroma whatsoever...even in hot, humid weather. You can pick up handful of it and put your nose right into it and all you will smell is damp, earthy smells. Like as if you picked up some soil and leaf litter from the forest floor.

So exactly what did you start with? What do you add? And specifically, do you *have to turn the poop into the bedding or can you remove some?