Deep litter method

[Beekissed]

Not too often and not where they poop the most, I wouldn't. That area should be pretty moist if you let it build there and just bury the feces.

In other areas where it is more dusty, it doesn't hurt to wet it some to provide moisture to the layers underneath. When I empty out dirty water at times I'll pour it out in one corner, or along the wall, and cover it over with dry bedding to retain the moisture, during hot and dry parts of the summer.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Not too often and not where they poop the most, I wouldn't. That area should be pretty moist if you let it build there and just bury the feces.

In other areas where it is more dusty, it doesn't hurt to wet it some to provide moisture to the layers underneath. When I empty out dirty water at times I'll pour it out in one corner, or along the wall, and cover it over with dry bedding to retain the moisture, during hot and dry parts of the summer.

oh yes hot and dry right here now. Man it's hot. They are cutting hay all around us and baling it right now. Our sinuses are going crazy because the dust is flying.

OK I'll not wet it that often then. That was the first time I wet under the roosting area though. It's got the roof over it so it doesn't get wet unless I wet it.

Hey I wound up with 14 more cockerels in this bunch. Have already sold 3 and got 14 more to sell in the morning. Hubby is doing that for me since you have to get there soooooooo early. It starts like at 3 a.m. in the morning and ends like at 7 when the store opens i think. We caught them all late this evening and I only got clawed by one of them believe it or not. NOW I only have 20 I believe it was left. I only kept 2 rir cockerels because I'm not sure I'm going to keep the BA's. I am going to try them but have read they like to go broody. Not sure what that means as in, how much, a lot or just normal?

You should have seen the roost tonight. It was a sad sight. Needless to say I was crying. Felt sorry for the BA pullets that kept staying at the door of the BA cockerels when it was time to hit the roost.

I didn't have any nice looking cockerels I liked the looks of either so that's another reason I didn't keep one of those. Anyway back to the roost, there was 2 lonely pullets on one end of the roost, 1 on the front roost and one on the back one. Then a WIDEEEEEEEEEE space in front and back ones and then everyone was squeezed on the ends. Those two on the opposite end had it all to themselves. LOADS of space now. PLUS with only 2 cockerels now the girls can eat maybe.

They need to get a little meat on their bones before they start laying. Those rir pullets are just as docile as they can be. I just love that breed! Once I get them picked up they don't kick or squak sp? or anything. Not that way with these BA's. Man is sounds like you're killing them. I think I wound up with 11 BA pullets and 9 RIR pullets. It was so hard to count them all with them constantly moving and all the cockerels running in there to. The area we put them for the night is full of cockerels. I wanted to split them up into two area but hubby wanted to just leave them in the one. I put things for them to roost on in there for the night.
It's going to be a little weird to begin with because of sooooo many leaving in the morning. Wont seem the same with not many running around in the yard but I wont miss feeding the lil pigs. lol They can put down some food. Food bill should go down now.

Although I have to say I will miss the little boogers.

 

[Beekissed]

It will make for a nice break on feeding, though, won't it? I know I always get a little shock and an adjustment time when downsizing the flock and then I feel pretty good when I'm not buying as much feed.

This feed change I've recently made is really saving on the feed! I'm barely feeding out one or two cups a day now and the birds are really hustling for their food out there but it's a wonderful time to take advantage of all the bugs of August/September. Food aplenty out there!

 

[RoseMarie1]

oh yeah will be feeding much less. Although several days there I only fed out about a gallon of food for that many but I'm just guessing at the amount. They're staying off my patio so much now to. Still finding a little poop but not like it was.
Save all that food for winter when the bugs wont be out and about huh?

 

[lawatt]

one interesting note -- i've been using the deep litter method for a year, and it's worked great except the pine shavings didn't seem to break down as well as i'd hoped, making for mulch more than compost... but this past week i've had the chickens staying in their run full-time, instead of spending part of the day free-ranging like they would prefer, because a bobcat has been hanging around after successfully catching some free-rangers -- and suddenly the chickens are digging through their litter FAR more than usual, trying to get all whatever tasty treats they can find in the bottom layers, and it's already looking far more turned-over and composty.

i'd still prefer to be able to let the free-range again, and eventually the bobcat will move on, but good to know!

 

[RoseMarie1]

one interesting note -- i've been using the deep litter method for a year, and it's worked great except the pine shavings didn't seem to break down as well as i'd hoped, making for mulch more than compost... but this past week i've had the chickens staying in their run full-time, instead of spending part of the day free-ranging like they would prefer, because a bobcat has been hanging around after successfully catching some free-rangers -- and suddenly the chickens are digging through their litter FAR more than usual, trying to get all whatever tasty treats they can find in the bottom layers, and it's already looking far more turned-over and composty.

i'd still prefer to be able to let the free-range again, and eventually the bobcat will move on, but good to know!

I heard that, they know they can turn it over huh?

lil aerators. I knew that's why mine wasn't turning it because they haven't been in their pen much due to the free ranging. Sure hope your bobcat moves on and doesn't try getting in to your chickens!!!

 

[lawatt]

I heard that, they know they can turn it over huh?

lil aerators. I knew that's why mine wasn't turning it because they haven't been in their pen much due to the free ranging. Sure hope your bobcat moves on and doesn't try getting in to your chickens!!!

thanks -- the pens are predator-proof (we have LOTS of potential predators here, and in over a year none has made any trouble for the pens), but the chickens are disappointed every time i visit and DON'T let them out. but losing five of them was enough to require strict measures for a while.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, I'm subscribing to this thread too now. I cannot even begin to start reading it tonight. Cross-eyed already. I'll start tomorrow.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Bee......I bought a mister today because it's sooooo hot here right now. I saw where someone had one and said in the heat of the day their chickens will sit under it so I thought, hmmm going to try that and see if it will help cool mine off. They don't get really wet under it. Anyway I was wondering IF it would hurt to hang it inside their run over the deep litter? It's 10' long and only 1/4" round so it's tiny and I figured I might be able to kill 2 birds with one stone so to speak. Dampen the deep litter as well as keep them cool in this heat. Thought about putting it on a board so I can move it when I want to put it in other places. I have frozen gallon jugs of water in their drinking water to help cool them off. When it's hot like this, in this humidity we have here, it's unbearable it's soooo hot. IF the humidity wasn't sooooo bad it wouldn't be soooo hot.

 

[Beekissed]

Try it and see what happens! That's all you can do and then make adjustments as you go along.