I have been reading up on the deep litter method and have decided that this is what I want to do in my run (currently under renovation, but soon to be full of chickens!).
One thing that I have not found is the optimal ratio of square feet to chicken. I have been to ld elsewhere to have at least 5 square feet per chicken, but current plans will have me at around 30 square feet per chicken. I just want to make sure that I don't make the run too big for the chickens to aerate, and I want to make sure that I get enough chicken poop mixed in with the straw to to get a good carbon:nitrogen ratio.
I am at the planning stages for my renovation, so I can make the run any size, up to about 400 square feet and I plan to keep about 12 chickens. The chickens will be in either the coop or run 99.9% of the time.
What do y'all think? How many square feet per chicken should I make my run?
Thanks,
Ryan
P.S. I am going to try sand in the coop. I will throw all of the poop that I scoop into the run to be mixed with the litter.
One thing that I have not found is the optimal ratio of square feet to chicken. I have been to ld elsewhere to have at least 5 square feet per chicken, but current plans will have me at around 30 square feet per chicken. I just want to make sure that I don't make the run too big for the chickens to aerate, and I want to make sure that I get enough chicken poop mixed in with the straw to to get a good carbon:nitrogen ratio.
I am at the planning stages for my renovation, so I can make the run any size, up to about 400 square feet and I plan to keep about 12 chickens. The chickens will be in either the coop or run 99.9% of the time.
What do y'all think? How many square feet per chicken should I make my run?
Thanks,
Ryan
P.S. I am going to try sand in the coop. I will throw all of the poop that I scoop into the run to be mixed with the litter.