Deep litter method

[armorfirelady]

 


I just read it and this year for the first time I did a dl, but I used hey and it did have a smell, I just told my hubbie we will have to try this way, we have had chickens for years but last year was the first time we did the dl, I use to clean it out every week. I did almost what you said but like I said I used hey, when it smelled I just put more on it, but I never saw a worm when I cleaned it the end of feb.

Hi Gilcamp4.  Hay isn't good bedding material for any animal. Straw is better. I only have experience with using pine shavings, though. If you are wanting to try the DL method again, use straw or pine shavings instead. 

I use hay instead of straw. Straw can harbor mites & lice. Hay does not. But I use maybe a bale or 2 of hay for a 6 month period. I use more leaves, grass clippings, pine needles & pine shavings. Hay can hold moisture but when used with more organic matter it breaks down well. We have wet springs but by now most of the hay has broken down. I use the hay during the winter for warmth for the hens mainly. I find it makes a good insulator when temps were below zero. But I stirred the litter weekly to make sure it got mixed in well.

If you have an odor in your coop with your DL you need more ventilation. The only time I get an odor is when the roof vents are blocked with snow. Just turn it over add some dry matter and open some windows. My north end of the coop is at least halfway open all winter. I only closed up when winds were blowing snow inside.

 

[gilcamp4]

I use hay instead of straw. Straw can harbor mites & lice. Hay does not. But I use maybe a bale or 2 of hay for a 6 month period. I use more leaves, grass clippings, pine needles & pine shavings. Hay can hold moisture but when used with more organic matter it breaks down well. We have wet springs but by now most of the hay has broken down. I use the hay during the winter for warmth for the hens mainly. I find it makes a good insulator when temps were below zero. But I stirred the litter weekly to make sure it got mixed in well.

If you have an odor in your coop with your DL you need more ventilation. The only time I get an odor is when the roof vents are blocked with snow. Just turn it over add some dry matter and open some windows. My north end of the coop is at least halfway open all winter. I only closed up when winds were blowing snow inside.

we have had chickens for years and then when our children were young we had them too, always used hey but I think next winter we are going back to pine chips, we live in farm land and have no trees it is nice not to have to worry about rakeing but we have no tree shade, planted 6 trees 2 years ago but they got hit last summer and stopped the growing, I went to tractor supply this morning to get flea and tick for my dog and came out with 6 sex licks peeps they were just so cute, that means we now have 15 black and 8 red sex licks plus we have 1 easter, 4 rir, 1 painted and 1 white and blackplus 1 rir and 1 mixed bad roos, here is my coop yes an old camper

 

[Ms Jellybean]

we have had chickens for years and then when our children were young we had them too, always used hey but I think next winter we are going back to pine chips, we live in farm land and have no trees it is nice not to have to worry about rakeing but we have no tree shade, planted 6 trees 2 years ago but they got hit last summer and stopped the growing, I went to tractor supply this morning to get flea and tick for my dog and came out with 6 sex licks peeps they were just so cute, that means we now have 15 black and 8 red sex licks plus we have 1 easter, 4 rir, 1 painted and 1 white and blackplus 1 rir and 1 mixed bad roos, here is my coop yes an old camper

Love the coop.

 

[ShelleyJ]

This is what I'm thinking of doing with my camper. It's not road worthy anymore but it's still good for my chickens and rabbits. Will be getting my rabbits the first of May and then hopefully the chicks will be arriving in June. I'd really like to try the deep litter method and have found some really good information on this forum. I love that everyone on here is so positive and encouraging. I love this set up of the camper.

 

[mamabear72]

here is my coop yes an old camper

now that's CREATIVE!!!! I'd love to see some inside pics

 

[gilcamp4]

now that's CREATIVE!!!! I'd love to see some inside pics

ok mamabear here is some of the inside, one end is fixed up for peeps in the summer,

 

[mamabear72]

ok mamabear here is some of the inside, one end is fixed up for peeps in the summer,

I love it! thank you for sharing

 

[suncatcher]

Just came across this thread,l ots of great ideas on here. By the way, love the Camper Coop!!! There is nothing wrong with using straw or hay for DL, farmers have been using straw for oh, I don;t know, about a thousand years, so can't be all bad!! We use only straw to foal out mares, we have never, ever use shavings for foaling stalls, as it can harbor (sp) bacteria, we use only straw. So go ahead and use straw, is all natural, and makes no difference where in the country you are located. Sorry, just had to chime in here.... carry on!

 

[gilcamp4]

This is what I'm thinking of doing with my camper. It's not road worthy anymore but it's still good for my chickens and rabbits. Will be getting my rabbits the first of May and then hopefully the chicks will be arriving in June. I'd really like to try the deep litter method and have found some really good information on this forum. I love that everyone on here is so positive and encouraging. I love this set up of the camper.

we did have a rabbit in ours about 2 years ago but the smell was really bad from her, we took the old coop and made it into a hutch for her and it works great, I liked the idea of her in side, I even but her where the peeps were at the one end fenched in and then we made a box with side high added fench to that she worked on that wire and got out in the yard with all the peeps, that was not fun had to get peeps before big chickens killed them. she has a real nice home now I will have to take a picture of it. I love our camper coop, we are looking for another camper to make a L shape coop plus some how make a covered run for bad weather. the yard is to big to cover, plus my husband is 80 can not do a lot that he use to but more then some do

 

[Beekissed]

Just came across this thread,l ots of great ideas on here. By the way, love the Camper Coop!!! There is nothing wrong with using straw or hay for DL, farmers have been using straw for oh, I don;t know, about a thousand years, so can't be all bad!! We use only straw to foal out mares, we have never, ever use shavings for foaling stalls, as it can harbor (sp) bacteria, we use only straw. So go ahead and use straw, is all natural, and makes no difference where in the country you are located. Sorry, just had to chime in here.... carry on!

Farmers use it for simple, temporary bedding that will soon be mucked out of pens and stalls. DL is not simple bedding. Straw is lovely for horse stalls and for bedding for foaling, farrowing, etc. but for building a deep, composting mix of carbonaceous materials mixed with feces that will remain in place and cannot put off too much ammonia, straw is not the thing. It doesn't absorb, it doesn't break down and it is not easily digested by microorganisms who aid in composting...it's too woody and waxy. In short, it's crap for composting and particularly for the type of slow composting done in a chicken coop using the DL method.