Deep litter method

[Beekissed]

It's cool, isn't it? Like the litter just eats the poop and the soil turns rich in the process...love that concept of the poop being digested into something better and that smells healthy. I've noticed, too, that the poop is more easily digested now that I'm using the FF, than it was before with regular feeds. I think it has less far to go to composting when the grains are transformed in that way and are not coming out in the feces undigested.

 

[armorfirelady]

Heck I don't rake often and the poop pile under the roosts in the am is usually gone by the time I feed at dinner time. The girls coop was moved back to its original spot but with about 6 inches of top soil on it to raise it (it flooded in the spring) and while I did throw the grass clippings in from the old spot its mostly just dirt in there now. They love bathing and scratching thru it. I don't plan on adding shavings till the fall when its colder.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

I am currently using the deep litter method in my coop with pine shavings and so far it seems to be working great.

Would it be ok to add pine shavings at about 6" or more to my run ? Currently I continue to add fresh grass clippings but as the winter season approaches I would like to use something else for deep litter. Any suggestions ?

 

[Beekissed]

Sure thing! You should see Rosemarie1's run..she's got about 10 in. of deep litter throughout her huge run. She has a mixture of all kinds of bedding materials from the farm and it looks like a big ol' forest floor in there. That's what I'd do if I had a run also...turn it into a habitat instead of just a pen. Deep litter of leaves, pine needles, twigs, logs, shavings, bark, straw, weeds, etc. until I had a nice deep litter pack going.

Rose says her soil has already changed in her coop underneath all that litter to a rich, spongy soil and that she can't even find any poop anymore in the litter. She has a thread that shows her litter in the run...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/811243/pix-of-my-chicken-house-and-their-run

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

Sure thing!  You should see Rosemarie1's run..she's got about 10 in. of deep litter throughout her huge run.  She has a mixture of all kinds of bedding materials from the farm and it looks like a big ol' forest floor in there.  That's what I'd do if I had a run also...turn it into a habitat instead of just a pen.  Deep litter of leaves, pine needles, twigs, logs, shavings, bark, straw, weeds, etc. until I had a nice deep litter pack going. 

Rose says her soil has already changed in her coop underneath all that litter to a rich, spongy soil and that she can't even find any poop anymore in the litter.  She has a thread that shows her litter in the run...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/811243/pix-of-my-chicken-house-and-their-run

Thanks, Bee ! Looks like I'm going to have to go on the hunt for some grubbings in the near future ! I was thinking once the leaves start falling, and that will be soon by the feel of the temps here today, just like Fall, I could start raking them up and chucking them in the run along with pine shavings and such.

 

[Beekissed]

I think you'll be very surprised with the results and wonder why you hadn't done it before now...just think..no muddy feet, no moonscape, no standing water when it rains, no bad smells. Just really cool bird habitat!

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

I think you'll be very surprised with the results and wonder why you hadn't done it before now...just think..no muddy feet, no moonscape, no standing water when it rains, no bad smells.  Just really cool bird habitat! 

I've been real pleased with the results of DL use in the coop and using it in their run only makes sense. They free range for part of the day but it's only when I'm around to supervise. Otherwise when I'm at work they are confined to their coop/run and I know using DL in their run is going to be much more healthy and make them happier birds

 

[RoseMarie1]

It's cool, isn't it? Like the litter just eats the poop and the soil turns rich in the process...love that concept of the poop being digested into something better and that smells healthy. I've noticed, too, that the poop is more easily digested now that I'm using the FF, than it was before with regular feeds. I think it has less far to go to composting when the grains are transformed in that way and are not coming out in the feces undigested.

you know Bee I didn't think about that but before the ff I would see small pieces of undigested foods in their poop but not anymore.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Thanks, Bee ! Looks like I'm going to have to go on the hunt for some grubbings in the near future ! I was thinking once the leaves start falling, and that will be soon by the feel of the temps here today, just like Fall, I could start raking them up and chucking them in the run along with pine shavings and such.

got any pine straw to toss into there to? I added some more to mine today. Swept up 2 huge sweeper fulls of leaves, pine straw and grass clippings. Piled them out by the door of their run and before I could get it IN to the run they had already started sifting through it.

I had to rake it back up so I could get it with my pitchfork to put it inside their run.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

got any pine straw to toss into there to? I added some more to mine today. Swept up 2 huge sweeper fulls of leaves, pine straw and grass clippings. Piled them out by the door of their run and before I could get it IN to the run they had already started sifting through it.   I had to rake it back up so I could get it with my pitchfork to put it inside their run. 

By pine straw, do you mean the pine needles that fall off the tree and turn brown ?