Deep litter method

[mobius]

DL in the run works. DL in the coop works with wood/vinyl/dirt floor.

 

[paintedChix]

DL = Deep Litter
DLM = Deep Litter Method

Confusing as they aren't the same.

Our coops sit on the ground. I don't use DE in the DLM - as I'm purposely trying to change several feet of sand to decent soil that will support bug life and plant life. I want to do everything to encourage that... At this time, if I build other coops (not tractors), they will be sitting directly on the ground,not having a floor under the birds/roosts.

The actual runs that I have get all kinds of bedding materials of different sizes. I am going to need to do a Coop Page - our "coops" are simply not that fancy. But I've recently posted a lot of photos of our set ups (several different ones).

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/muddy-run-help-please.1037998/page-6 - post #60, #66 & #69.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ep-litter-method.643302/page-41#post-18700000 - post # 403, 404 & 406. (I also posted in this one much earlier, don't know how to find it w/o going thru each page...)

I have my chicken coops as open aired hooped, cattle panels that just have tarps over them at this time (will eventually roof them in permanent material - haven't decided what just yet). Originally, they were meant only for temporary coops OR as tractors, but they simply didn't work well that way so now all 3 of those are permanent (could be moved if necessary). They have roosts, nest boxes, dusting box. The birds are "free ranged" in movable wire fencing or hot wire poultry netting - no longer fully free range on our property due to loose dogs (not ours)...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hoop-coop-pros-and-cons.1154750/page-2 - post # 17, #18 & #31.

I know that some do either DL or DLM in a coop with a floor. It's my understanding that it takes longer for it to break down - many will use some other compost - especially if it has leaf mold or actual bug life as that will help to "jump start" their DLM in the coop with a floor.

you try different things in your coop, with your chickens that work for you. What works for someone else may not work for you for a variety of reasons - weather, time, size of coop/run, # of chickens, amount of time chickens are actually in the area where you want to do either DL or DLM.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/composting.1180561/#post-18700756 - post #9.

 

[Kusanar]

We are new and have 8 almost 3 week old chicks. Need to quick design and build a coop and run for them! Want to use deep litter but getting overwhelmed with all the info I am reading. If we have a 4'x8' coop in an 8'x12' covered/enclosed run would we use dl in the run as well? Would the coop be on the ground so as to have a dirt floor rather than raised as I see everywhere? DE might cause a problem in DL, but PDZ would not? Would it be a problem to also have the rabbit hutch in the run and let the bunny out on the dl? Thanks for your help.

Sweet PDZ only neutralizes ammonia so it won't hurt the DLM, but I don't know how much of it I would use, just a handful here or there if it starts smelling to kill the smell fast (a DLM that is properly balanced won't smell, but it may get stinky a few times before it's setup right). The coup can be raised or on the ground either way, but, remember if you do it raised and you want the birds to be able to go under it, you need to raise it a foot or so higher than normal to compensate for the deep litter under it and if you are going to deep litter in the coup, you need to make sure everything in there is capable of being raised about a foot without putting bird heads in the ceiling.
I don't think the rabbit would be a problem on the deep litter, but it MAY dig, so you should probably have wire across the whole bottom so the rabbit doesn't start digging and find a way out of the run. I also don't know if rabbit feed and Chicken feed are compatible in case the rabbit gets into the chicken feed or the chickens get into the rabbit feed, so that's something to look into.

 

[Sunnymommy]

What is the difference between deep litter and deep litter method?

 

[Kusanar]

What is the difference between deep litter and deep litter method?

I believe that deep litter is just throwing a few bags of shavings in there and then cleaning it like normal but with a lot more bedding, DLM is where you slowly accumulate a lot of bedding and manure in layers and let it rot in place.

 

[paintedChix]

I think I used the wrong terminology, too.

Should be Deep Bedding (not Deep Litter) and Deep Litter Method. SORRY!!!

 

[blackdog043]

Yep, deep bedding, used in a coop with a floor, other than dirt.
Deep litter can be used in a run or coop with a dirt floor.

 

[Kusanar]

Yep, deep bedding, used in a coop with a floor, other than dirt.
Deep litter can be used in a run or coop with a dirt floor.

Actually, DLM can be done on a wood floor. You just need to get it started with some healthy dirt or compost and then it will keep going on it's own. Same reason that the barrel tumbler composters work even though they don't touch the ground.

 

[jvls1942]

what do you do with the deep litter on the ground? just leave it there forever?

all of my coops have concrete floors.
I just keep adding straw all winter and then in the spring it all gets cleaned out and put on a compost pile..

I have access to wood chips.
I put a 6 to 8 inch layer in on top of the concrete. then a bale of straw.
any moisture seeps down thtough the straw and into the wood chips.
the bedding stays dry all winter.
IDK if this is DL or DLM, but it works for me

 

[Kusanar]

what do you do with the deep litter on the ground? just leave it there forever?

all of my coops have concrete floors.
I just keep adding straw all winter and then in the spring it all gets cleaned out and put on a compost pile..

I have access to wood chips.
I put a 6 to 8 inch layer in on top of the concrete. then a bale of straw.
any moisture seeps down thtough the straw and into the wood chips.
the bedding stays dry all winter.
IDK if this is DL or DLM, but it works for me

If you are cleaning it all out and starting over each year, it sounds more like Deep Bedding, Deep Litter is much more permanent. In deep litter, if on a dirt floor, the litter just vanishes into the ground over time as it breaks down and the bugs loosen up the dirt under it, on concrete or some other hard surface, you do have to remove some to keep it from building up too much, but you would scrape back the top layer until you get to stuff that for all intents and purposes looks like dirt or potting soil, then you remove most (but not all) of the dirt stuff on the bottom and then rake the top back over it and let it keep breaking down. You would do this once every year or 2.