Deep litter method

[Tiegrsi]

I'm planning a new coop and run and while I like the idea of not having to constantly clean it, I'm not totally sold on DLM. I was thinking about doing a kind of cross between DLM and regular cleaning out...

My plan is to put a combo of sand, DE and dirt on the bottom of the run, then a light layer of hay...I'd clean the hay out once a week or bi-monthly, then stir the bottom layer before putting down new hay. The run will be 16x4x6, with an added area 4x4x2 under the coop.

In the coop (4x4x4 plus 4 laying boxes) I was just going have a wire floor that I will top with hay or shavings and a slide-out tray underneath for easy cleaning, and was going to clean the coop and tray once (or twice) a week.

I don't mind the work, and I do like the "extra" compost I'll be getting out of the deal.

Any thoughts? Has anyone done something like this, then changed to straight DLM because it was better?

 

[Mini Meat]

I'm planning a new coop and run and while I like the idea of not having to constantly clean it, I'm not totally sold on DLM. I was thinking about doing a kind of cross between DLM and regular cleaning out...

My plan is to put a combo of sand, DE and dirt on the bottom of the run, then a light layer of hay...I'd clean the hay out once a week or bi-monthly, then stir the bottom layer before putting down new hay. The run will be 16x4x6, with an added area 4x4x2 under the coop.

In the coop (4x4x4 plus 4 laying boxes) I was just going have a wire floor that I will top with hay or shavings and a slide-out tray underneath for easy cleaning, and was going to clean the coop and tray once (or twice) a week.

I don't mind the work, and I do like the "extra" compost I'll be getting out of the deal.

Any thoughts? Has anyone done something like this, then changed to straight DLM because it was better?

I don't care for hay or straw as bedding. It is not very absorbent and tends to form mats that can be very heavy and hard to clean. Also the open shaft structure of some hays and straw can harbor mites and lice.

My deep litter has some stems left over from giving the birds some alfalfa from time to time. Those stems always cause me problems down the line.

 

[Tiegrsi]

I don't care for hay or straw as bedding. It is not very absorbent and tends to form mats that can be very heavy and hard to clean. Also the open shaft structure of some hays and straw can harbor mites and lice. 

My deep litter has some stems left over from giving the birds some alfalfa from time to time. Those stems always cause me problems down the line. 

What do you use/recommend using?

 

[Molpet]

I'm planning a new coop and run and while I like the idea of not having to constantly clean it, I'm not totally sold on DLM. I was thinking about doing a kind of cross between DLM and regular cleaning out...

My plan is to put a combo of sand, DE and dirt on the bottom of the run, then a light layer of hay...I'd clean the hay out once a week or bi-monthly, then stir the bottom layer before putting down new hay. The run will be 16x4x6, with an added area 4x4x2 under the coop.

In the coop (4x4x4 plus 4 laying boxes) I was just going have a wire floor that I will top with hay or shavings and a slide-out tray underneath for easy cleaning, and was going to clean the coop and tray once (or twice) a week.

I don't mind the work, and I do like the "extra" compost I'll be getting out of the deal.

Any thoughts? Has anyone done something like this, then changed to straight DLM because it was better?

some people feel the DE kills off the microbes needed for compost and garden soil life... hay and straw was a pain to move when wet. ... leaves , dried yard grass and some shredded newspaper( not a lot they matted up) is what I have used that was free.. shavings and corn cob bedding I bought when I first started out.

 

[snhchick]

I don't care for hay or straw as bedding. It is not very absorbent and tends to form mats that can be very heavy and hard to clean. Also the open shaft structure of some hays and straw can harbor mites and lice.

My deep litter has some stems left over from giving the birds some alfalfa from time to time. Those stems always cause me problems down the line.

I don't like hay in the coop, but I have used it over the winter in the run so that the birds will come out in the snow. Using it in this way hasn't seemed to be a problem. I have Islandics instead of Silkies this year, so perhaps they won't mind the snow on their feet.

 

[Intheswamp]

If it's not too late I'd go with at least a 7' high run. The reason is that if you truly go with a built-up litter run then you will be adding 10-12 inches of litter which will shrink your height down to basically 5 feet.

Don't worry about adding sand, you've already got dirt there to start the process. Wood chips make excellent litter...use softwood/pine chips, no cedar and preferably no hardwoods. Free stuff would be like leaves, dried clipped grass (not too much), most yard trimmings especially if you can send them through a shredder, etc.,. Depending on where you are you may have rice hulls, corn cob, etc., available.

As Molpet said, forget the DE.

Also, don't worry about cleaning it out so often. It will take a while for it to compost to a usable state so don't get in too big of a hurry.

Simply keep adding to it..."building it up" and stirring it up. Throw a little BOSS or scratch on top of it and let the chickens do the work for you ...and occupy them.

If it *ever* starts smelling it pretty well means you need more carbon....more chips, leaves, fibrous stuff, etc.,.

A little bit of hay would probably be ok but it *is* known to pact down, make a mess, and mold.

Btw, several years ago i put together a spreadsheet to determine how much litter (focused on wood chips) would be needed to cover certain areas and at different depths. Here is the thread that includes that data: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/286384/litter-depth-chart-how-much-shavings-do-i-need

Best wishes on your project...don't be afraid of deep/built-up litter.

Ed

 

[Tiegrsi]

Thank you all for the input. My run's "bottom" will actually be 1" chicken wire (to help deter digging predators), so I will need to cover it with a layer of dirt or sand.

Since I didn't plan on using a ton of DE, and since it washes out after a rain (the run will be shaded but not covered by anything but wire), I didn't think puting it in would make any difference to my compost pile...don't plan on composting the "base" layer.

I will consider all your input, and read through some more of this thread. Thanks.

 

[Intheswamp]

DE would be counterproductive. It kills bad critters but it also kills the little critters that you want working in compost and in a DLM setup. If you build the good critters up they'll take care of the bad ones *and* more.

Also, how deep is the dirt going to be that you put over the chicken wire? The chickens can dig a foot deep when designing their dust baths. Remember, too, that the chicken wire rust into nothingness sooner than later. I would much rather have an apron of some 2x4 welded wire buried on the outside of the run. But, that's my opinion and we all have them.

Again, best wishes. You are doing what you need to do...research, research, research...I've been doing it for seven years!!!!<sigh>

Ed

 

[RuthHM]

A warning about expecting poop to drop though hardware cloth: When we built our henhouse and run, we took the wood floor out of a henhouse kit and replaced it with half-inch hardware cloth, so that when chickens roosted at night, the poop would drop through the hardware cloth onto the floor of the run below, which was covered with deep litter. Well, best-laid plans.... What actually happens is that the poop hits the hardware cloth and piles up there. I had to scrape it off or force it down through the hardware cloth every morning, which was a royal pain. So I covered the hardware cloth with a 1-2inch layer of pine shavings. BIngo! Now when the chickens roost on the bars, their poop hits the layer of pine shavings and is really easy to scoop up. I keep a rubber glove in the coop and put that on before I scoop the poop into a poop bucket and toss it either into the deep litter or straight into my compost pile. Easy-peasy!

 

[Tiegrsi]

A warning about expecting poop to drop though hardware cloth: When we built our henhouse and run, we took the wood floor out of a henhouse kit and replaced it with half-inch hardware cloth, so that when chickens roosted at night, the poop would drop through the hardware cloth onto the floor of the run below, which was covered with deep litter. Well, best-laid plans.... What actually happens is that the poop hits the hardware cloth and piles up there. I had to scrape it off or force it down through the hardware cloth every morning, which was a royal pain. So I covered the hardware cloth with a 1-2inch layer of pine shavings. BIngo! Now when the chickens roost on the bars, their poop hits the layer of pine shavings and is really easy to scoop up. I keep a rubber glove in the coop and put that on before I scoop the poop into a poop bucket and toss it either into the deep litter or straight into my compost pile. Easy-peasy!

I am going to have shavings in the coop...it gets pretty hot here in the summer and cold in the winter so the tray is more like I can take it out when it's hot to promote air flow and put it in during cold months for extra insulation.

Intheswamp...is there anything else I could use on the bottom besides welded wire? I'm going to be using welded wire for the sides of the run but I figured I could save a few bucks by using the chicken wire I already have for the bottom.