Deep litter method

[HiDelight]

:my coop has a concrete floor ....before I cleaned the pad off to build the coop it was covered with thick leaf compost from the trees above so I thought for sure I could compost right on top of it..before I put the coop in I was going to use it for my composting area
will it not work at all for the DL method? what if I put a layer of wormy soil on top of it then put straw on top of the dirt ? I have a huge pile of compost/soil for my garden beds and there is enough I could line the coop with it if you think it would work under the litter

also is it possible to deep liter the pen where they run around? or is that not practical?

is straw just as good ? or do I need to buy shavings? or if shavings are better can I just wait and add them when I run out of straw?

I usually compost in a bin but this is why I got the chickens (besides the fact I adore them!) so they could help with my gardening/composting/weeding

so much to learn here so many questions!

thank you so much

 

[HiDelight]

bumping for help and answers from the pros

thank you

 

[HiDelight]

ok just found this great thread that I think tells me what I need to know

thanks

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=70

omg this board moves fast and has so much freaking info! amazing

thank you thank you!

 

[chickenheadbokbok]

getting ready to put our 6wk chicks in coop & i was wondering can i use deep liter method in the summer or will it get to hot? i have a 10x16 coop with concrete floor 2 windows soon to be three.sorry for ?s first time raising chickens. loving it so far!!

 

[jmschristiansen]

We have been using the deep litter method in a 6 x 7 coop, with 12 - 16 layers, for over a year, in Texas. Today, it hit 91 degrees. The upper half of my east facing wall, and part of the north & south walls, are all chicken wire for ventilation. Every couple months, I add more oak leaves, to try and keep the litter about 1' deep. The chickens seem to like it.

I am in a neighborhood, this seems to keep the smell down. I also dust the nest box, the litter, and the chickens themselves with DE occasionally.

They also eat most of our table scraps and garden waste. In the last year I have cleaned out the coop 2 times. Will probably do so again in the next month or so, before summer really gets going.

Good luck with the chickens, I really enjoy mine!

James

 

[AnnesChicks]

I buy my shavings by the hugw bale at the feed store. This method is working really well for us. I started late Feb with 8 hens, and am only about 1/3 of my way into my second bale. And only because until I figured out how to prevent the water spillage I had to pull out any that got wet. No smell, and I stir it up once a week and add a few more inches. Wood floor, painted.