Deep litter method

[Beekissed]

Yeah....green isn't the best color for FF.

I keep mine in the coop until it gets too cold in the winter, then I move it into the enclosed back porch to keep it working. In the summer I mix smaller batches because the heat causes it to ferment more quickly, so the small batches has me feeding the mix more often and it keeps it from going too far in the opposite direction into heavy yeasts, then mold.

I think you'll like it so much once you see how well it goes with the DL....it just disappears in it! I throw bedding on the poop under the roost one day and can flip it a little the next day and that poo is GONE. The critters living in that DL are like a demo crew and the FF is easy for them to digest, so it just seems to disappear. Now I've taken to burying salad and fruit scraps in the DL under the roosts too and that too disappears pretty quickly...the earthworms just love it. Ordinarily the chickens would eat those kind of scraps but in the summer they have so many greens out on free range, the lettuce and such isn't much of a draw. Come winter they will eat those scraps like they are the last thing on Earth, but for now the worms get them. And then the chickens get the worms, so it's a lovely cycle.

 

[pinkmartin73]

Yeah....green isn't the best color for FF.    I keep mine in the coop until it gets too cold in the winter, then I move it into the enclosed back porch to keep it working.  In the summer I mix smaller batches because the heat causes it to ferment more quickly, so the small batches has me feeding the mix more often and it keeps it from going too far in the opposite direction into heavy yeasts, then mold. 

I think you'll like it so much once you see how well it goes with the DL....it just disappears in it!  I throw bedding on the poop under the roost one day and can flip it a little the next day and that poo is GONE.  The critters living in that DL are like a demo crew and the FF is easy for them to digest, so it just seems to disappear.  Now I've taken to burying salad and fruit scraps in the DL under the roosts too and that too disappears pretty quickly...the earthworms just love it.  Ordinarily the chickens would eat those kind of scraps but in the summer they have so many greens out on free range, the lettuce and such isn't much of a draw.  Come winter they will eat those scraps like they are the last thing on Earth, but for now the worms get them.  And then the chickens get the worms, so it's a lovely cycle. 

I'll definitely try it again. And small batches would make sense. I just need to work out a good balance as far as how much they eat vs. Keeping some to seed it. My birds don't get to free range but have a good size run with part if it growing grass. I also give them grass, weeds, and fruits and veggies daily. The neighbors toss their scraps in too! There are 4 houses in a row here. All with good sized yards. It has really become like 1 huge back yard we all share. The kiddos all play together and everyone visits the chickens.

Is it weird that our flock doesn't like night crawlers? We have gotten so much rain. The run and coop are thick with worms on top of the ground. The birds won't touch them.

 

[Beekissed]

Not really....I've seen my chickens pass up worms at times and then, sometimes, they will gobble them like they are candy. Not sure why they display this kind of behavior and how they know the difference, but they definitely are choosy at times over eating the worms. Anyone out there know why that is?

 

[PapaChaz]

Not really....I've seen my chickens pass up worms at times and then, sometimes, they will gobble them like they are candy. Not sure why they display this kind of behavior and how they know the difference, but they definitely are choosy at times over eating the worms. Anyone out there know why that is?

I've noticed the same thing with mine ma'am, no idea. I thought my chickens were just silly........LOL now I see other's doing it too there must be something to it

 

[DeAnzaJig]

Hello,

Could I use the DL method for my guinea fowl coop?

I will have 13 guineas who will free range during the day (except bad weather and winter) and spend the night in the coop.

The coop is on an 2 ft elevated platform with a wood floor.

Thank you!

 

[pinkmartin73]

I've noticed the same thing with mine ma'am, no idea. I thought my chickens were just silly........LOL now I see other's doing it too there must be something to it

Chickens are just weird, I guess

 

[PapaChaz]

Chickens are just weird, I guess

no doubt!

 

[Mims]

We use pine shaving DLM in the covered run area (4'x6') and under the coop (4'x4'). Since the DL is dry so it doesn't smell. By raking it daily, it is easy to break up the large chunks and accelerate the composting process. I also clean the poop board and the pine shaving daily. The cleaning, refilling the feeder, put out warm water, make them warm oatmeal, and collect the eggs take about 15 minutes in the morning.

The chicken feed and water are always outside in the run, my chickens never stay indoor except for laying eggs and sleep. I don't have a rodent problem because the entire run including the floor is covered with 1/2" hardware cloth.

Our coop is so "clean" that a Vegan friend, and a vegetarian neighbor (who only eats certified humane eggs), love eating our chicken eggs.

@yellowchicks - how is that HW cloth covered floor working for you? I'm about to do this, and am getting a lot of flak for it, saying it's unnecessary. We live in the country, surrounded by farmland and crops. We have a ton of mice and field rats on our property. I just don't see an apron keeping them out. Some of the tunnels go down for a very long way.

Anyway, thanks!

 

[yellowchicks]

Quote:
It has been working out great for us with 1/2" hardware cloth under the entire run and doing DLM on top of it. The roof above the run kept the bedding dry, the dirt ground

We did find evidence of digging under the run but was stopped by the hardware cloth on the bottom. Maybe it was the chipmunks trying to steal the chicken feed, they can dig a pretty long fist size tunnel. Surprisingly, we also found two bird carcasses in our yard this week, completely eaten and hollowed out, not sure what ate them, maybe the garden snake? We live in a highly populated suburban neighborhood, so I would imagine that the country side would have more varieties of predators than us.

I just took a picture for you so you can see our DLM after 1 year. I haven't add new pine shaving in 3 months, had to dig hard to find the wire mesh.

 

[Beekissed]

I had a big ol' mole digging into my brood pen ....I'm assuming it was coming after the worms that come to the manure but maybe they like FF too, so who knows. My dog caught him outside the pen and he is no more. Could be your tunneler is a mole or vole coming after the beetles and worms rising to your compost.