Deep litter method

[Mraya]

I think you and your chickens will be just fine! Most folks here who use leaves and grass clippings make sure there is not pesticide or herbicide on it, so something to be considered. I even asked about "are pine cones ok" a while back and was assured that they were . The more variation in materials the better and leaves are perfect as are the rotten logs (which are like gold for deep litter and I have used them too!). Even shredded paper!

Thanks for the advice. I put everything in and the chicks haven't come out of their coop yet I don't think they know what to make of it.
Myrna

 

[mobius]

They will be spreading it out and digging and rolling around in it soon

 

[Jboo]

Hello Chris,
I use the deep litter method also. I'm only into my 2nd year but i'm sold on this. My coop is 8x10 and I use wood shaving also. I actually clean my coop out one a year and do it in the late fall early winter. I add the litter to my compost bins and let them cook over the winter months with the other compost. This is great stuff to put in the garden. I'm starting to believe it's breaking up the clay and improving it. I am also one of the ones who throws a scratch on the floor and let the girls do the work for me, and they do a superb job. If you keep everything dry you don't have the ammonia problem and i've seen the girls getting down and dust bathing in the stuff. I use DE in the mix so when they dust bath they are really helping themselves out. This year I probaly cleaned out a 5-8 inch layer of shaving. I didn't do the bleach solution last year. I'm curious as to why you do this?

Norm in Vallejo, CA

What is DE and where can I get it!

 

[Kusanar]

What is DE and where can I get it!

DE is "diatomaceous earth" and can be found at any feed store ( I know I have seen it at tractor supply). There are 2 types, food grade and non food grade. I have seen people say that you should only use food grade, but I have also seen people say that either is fine, so use your own judgment on that, personally I only use food grade around animals.

You might want to research the DE though because I don't believe that you want to use it in deep litter. It can kill all of the good bugs and microbes that makes the deep litter break down properly. Also, you should not breathe the DE and it is a dust, so you likely don't want it in your bedding where you will be stirring it up when you go in there and clean.

 

[mobius]

x2

 

[RonC]

I can't see DE killing microbes but bugs yes. Then again a bug doesn't stand a chance around a chicken either. I use food grade also but not in DLM.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

There is a lot of controversy about DE. I'd recommend anyone not already familiar with either using or deciding not to use it do a lot of reading before making up their mind. (It seems, at least to me, to be a bit polarizing.)

FWIW...

 

[ZeeAviatrix]

Thanks Sandy for the reply, I just use an orange and peppermint oil spray instead of the bleach.

Foghorn,
With the deep litter method you start out with just a couple of inches and add to the mix when you need fresh bedding. I normally end up with 8-10+ inches of almost composted bedding by season’s end (which I then add to my compost bins of yard and garden green stuff, to breakdown over the winter). I also toss DE into the shaving mix as i've seen the girls dust bathing in the dry mixture various times during the year. They have dry soil and sandy soil pits in thier run but they will still dust bathe in the dry shaving mixture in the coop???

The new shaving in the bag are really compressed so initially one bag ought to get you started and just have a bag around to add to the mix as your season goes along. Some folks change out their shaving more often, it seems for me that the once a year schedule is working. It is important also that you either mix in the poop and shaving with a rake or use a mix method and rake occasionally and use scratch on the floor to get the hens to do the work. I hang my feeder from the rafters and I also have an auto-watering system out in the run. I have an 8x10 coop with 15 ladies in it currently.

Norm in N. CA

What is DE, please?

 

[mobius]

DE= Diatomaceous Earth

 

[Sunnymommy]

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.