Deep litter method

[Jennrz]

Hi all. Ive been using dlm for the last two years. Love it. However we have just had one of the wettest winters on record (and its not done yet).

Our coop is set up with an enclosure (which is dry) and a "run" that has a roof and three screened sides. The problem is in the run area. I currently have 6-8 inches of soggy mostly straw mess. I've turned it a few times when we had a couple of dry days. I let the girls range when the weather allows and I can keep an eye out for hawks. However as soon s it starts to get better we get more rain/snow and its back to being a mess.

My question is this....should I shovel it out (dirt floor) and put down new and try to keep up with the moisture going forward OR add a ton of new material to try and attain a dryer consistency?

Thoughts and advice appreciated!

 

[Jennrz]

Oops! Sorry for the double post. Not used to using my phine for posting.

 

[Johntodd]

I would add more material and turn it all in. Unless it's just dripping wet.

More bedding = more compost eventually.

 

[Kusanar]

Hi all. Ive been using dlm for the last two years. Love it. However we have just had one of the wettest winters on record (and its not done yet).

Our coop is set up with an enclosure (which is dry) and a "run" that has a roof and three screened sides. The problem is in the run area. I currently have 6-8 inches of soggy mostly straw mess. I've turned it a few times when we had a couple of dry days. I let the girls range when the weather allows and I can keep an eye out for hawks. However as soon s it starts to get better we get more rain/snow and its back to being a mess.

My question is this....should I shovel it out (dirt floor) and put down new and try to keep up with the moisture going forward OR add a ton of new material to try and attain a dryer consistency?

Thoughts and advice appreciated!

I would add more material and turn it all in. Unless it's just dripping wet.

More bedding = more compost eventually.

I agree, one of the things about DLM is that all the water goes to the bottom and the top will be damp but not WET unless it is activly raining on it. Sounds like you have too much water and the litter just isn't deep enough to handle it. So, maybe turn SOME dry into the stuff already there, but I would just pile the rest of the dry on top and just make it deeper. the bottom will rot down on its own.

 

[TalkALittle]

@Jennrz, how big of a run and how much material are we talking about here? If it's a small area then I'd probably just ditch the soggy straw. I haven't found straw to do a particularly great job as a primary ingredient in my DL. It doesn't absorb as well as other stuff, tends to mold when wet, and takes a relatively longer time to break down. If you can't get your hands on enough other material to substantially reduce the ratio of straw to "other stuff" then just get rid of it. Then toss whatever variety of material you can get your hands on in there. Got any leaves? Yard waste? Wood chips? Toss it all in. The key is variety. You can even put a little of that soggy straw in there (as long as it's not moldy). In the right proportion it can be a helpful component.

FWIW, I never really "turn" my litter. The birds move the topmost layer around and I'll sometimes rake it to even it out a bit if I see it start to build up in a corner or something, but the lower layers never get disturbed. If you're turning it to help it dry then what you really need to do is add more material.

 

[Johntodd]

OTOH, I use only hay. It's because I can get it at a good price compared to other things.

I turn it once a week, esp. under the roosts. I've never had a mold problem or problems with it breaking down, although I will say that coarse hay works better than fine hay.

My birds don't really turn the litter in the coop, because they have a very large run. That's why I turn it myself.

 

[TalkALittle]

OTOH, I use only hay.  It's because I can get it at a good price compared to other things.

I turn it once a week, esp. under the roosts.  I've never had a mold problem or problems with it breaking down, although I will say that coarse hay works better than fine hay.

My birds don't really turn the litter in the coop, because they have a very large run.  That's why I turn it myself.

The OP is having an issue with straw in her run that is open and exposed to substantial rain. Using hay or straw inside a coop would be a different story. At various times my coop bedding has had substantial amounts of hay and straw in it because it was readily available and happened to be cheap or free. It worked fine for me too in that dryer environment.

 

[Johntodd]

I should have mentioned the very large run is hay-covered, because it is next year's garden, ala "Ruth Stout".

We get torrential rains (just had some), and the hay seems to handle it.

We also have very fertile soil, so it breaks down quickly. As a gardener, soil health comes to mind as the potential problem here. But I can't tell from here.

 

[Jennrz]

So the run is @ 5x8. Not large since I only have 4 adult birds who mostly range in the yard during the day (@ a third if an acre).

To clarify I've been using "chopped straw" not hay, from a feed store.(if that matters) It seems that there is a dry-ish layer on top, damp not saturated. Under that is a matted stinky layer that is more soppy. The coop set up is on higher ground from the yard but with periods of standing water in the lower areas this winter, I'm thinking the water tables are much higher than usual.

While we do have a nice sized lot, it is not landscaped, so no yard waste to speak of. What types of product can I buy to vary the mix?

Thank you all for your input! Super appreciated.

 

[TalkALittle]

I hate to buy stuff for my DL. The only thing I really buy is pine shavings but I don't use them exclusively so a bag goes really far and lasts me a long time. I also get hay/straw sweepings by the big bagful for a couple of bucks from the feedstore. I mostly use stuff from my yard. I understand that not everyone has access to yard waste, though. Do you have any neighbors with trees that drop their leaves? Might they have a pile of them sitting around somewhere? How about any woods nearby? Once I stopped along the roadside under some pines in a remote area and scooped up a big plastic bin's worth of pine straw to bring home. Sometimes municipalities will have a yard waste collection site. You might be able to find wood chips, lawn clippings or leaves there.

If I had to buy stuff I'd do a thick base of chipped wood or untreated softwood mulch. Atop that I'd probably do a mix of stuff like chopped straw, shavings, rice hulls, peanut shells, chopped corn straw/stover, pine straw, leaf mulch. Depending on your region some of those might not be available or an economical option especially since you're looking for sort of small quantities for a 5x8 run.