Deep litter method

[Anny]

my coop will probly be about the size of the chicken hut one, how deep do you keep the litter in that one normally, and how often do you change it out?

 

[Dawn419]

Hi Anny!

I have the pine shavings litter about 6" deep in the Chick-N-Barn at this time. I'll probably only have to clean it out once a year, from the way it's looking as the five Silkies don't use the 2" by 4" roost that is inside for them...they prefer roosting on the ladder that leads from the run up into the coop. I'll measure it (litter) tomorrow and reply back here on exactly how deep it is...everyone's roosting now and I don't want to disturb them.

Hope this helps!

Dawn

 

[Anny]

Thank you so much dawn, you've been really helpful.

 

[Dawn419]

Just checkedd the litter depth in the Barn...it's actually 8" deep.

I added a few pieces of scrap wood in front of the door to the run so that I could get the litter deeper.

So glad that I could help!

Dawn

 

[mcdaid36]

Can the deep litter method work properly on a linoleum covered floor or can it only be used with an earthen floor? I remember reading somewhere that you need the good bacteria from the soil to start populating the litter, but in the coop we're building I'd like to have a linoleum floor. Thoughts?

 

[joebryant]

COPIED FROM A POST ON PAGE ONE:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/wayne/agriculture/Poultry/NewsArt/art7-30.html
DARKLING BEETLE MANAGEMENT IN DEEP LITTER HOUSES
*********************************************************************
Why on earth would anyone want to kill darkling beetles in their deep litter? It's they that lay eggs for MEALWORMS. I'd think the chickens and owners would love to have millions of mealworms in their litter, free and gratis.
My wife and I raise mealworms for all the songbirds in our yard. We feed them by the hundreds and the birds can't get enough, especially when they have babies.
***********************
Never mind. I found my answer on Google:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/b853/b853_6.html
"Darkling Beetle

The darkling beetle or lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), is rapidly becoming more of a nuisance in the poultry operation. Large populations of beetles sometimes migrate into nearby residence areas, especially during litter clean-out time. Although beetles can fly up to one mile, most crawl at night from litter disposed to neighboring fields and homes.

Beetles are frequently associated with poultry feed, preferring grain and cereal products that are damp, moldy and slightly out of condition. Both adults and larvae consume poultry feed in amounts costly to the producer. Larvae are known as lesser mealworms.

Increased importance has been placed on control of this beetle. Both adult beetles and larvae act as reservoirs for many poultry pathogens and parasites. Scientists have been able to transmit the causative agent of acute leukosis (Marek's disease) in chickens with this beetle. Positive confirmation of the transmission has been made under both laboratory and field research conditions.

Marek's disease usually affects birds between three and four months old. Symptoms are characterized by various degrees of paralysis, most easily observed in legs and wings. Droopy wings, gasping, loss of weight, pallor and sometimes diarrhea are also symptoms. Birds severely affected may be found lying on their sides with one leg stretched forward and the other held behind. The disease affects both broiler and egg laying types of poultry. Losses can reach two percent of the flock per day, and mortality may exceed 30 percent of the flock within a few weeks.

Acute leukosis is highly contagious and has been shown to be airborne. Contamination may persist in the environment because the darkling beetle may serve as a reservoir for residual contamination. Beetles have been observed feeding on carcasses of poultry dead of leukosis, and it appears that beetles may become contaminated in the process. Adult beetles are capable of retaining the contamination and transmitting the leukosis when eaten by chickens, in the opinion of some scientists. Other diseases which are spread include the causative agents of avian influenza, salmonella, fowl pox, coccidiosis, botulism and new castle disease. They also act as vectors of cecal worms and avian tapeworms.

In the poultry house, the beetle can lay up to 800 eggs in litter during a 42-day period. Eggs develop into larvae in four to seven days. The life cycle requires about 42 to 97 days depending on temperature. Beetles live up to three months to a year. Adults are black or very dark, reddish- brown and about 1/4 inch long. Larvae are yellowish-brown (wireworm-like) up to 3/4 inch long and accumulate in dark corners of manure or litter, especially under sacks, in bins or in places where feed is stored. Pupation occurs in the litter, soil and side walls of poultry houses. They migrate frequently throughout the litter generally coming in soil contact.

Adult chickens and chicks are more likely to eat the beetles and their larvae than poults or turkeys. Consumption of beetles and larvae, rather than providing "extra protein" in the diet, actually has a negative effect on feed conversion and rate of gain according to research."

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

I was wondering if someone could please post the correct ratio for Food Grade DE to chicken Grain?
Am I correct that some of you are not only feeding it to the birds directly but also sprinkling it onto the shavings from time to time?
Thank You,

 

[curliet]

I noticed earlier in this thread that someone asked about the size of the pine shavings used for litter. I must have missed the answer somehow. I've been using the pine shavings as litter in the brooder, and recently when we moved the chicks to their completed coop, I went to a different feed store to buy some litter for the floor. I asked for pine shavings, but after I opened the bag and started spreading I noticed that it was only a little bigger than sawdust. I wasn't happy about this, but it was sunday, the feed store was closed and couldn't get more, won't be able to get to it til tomorrow, Wed. Is this a problem? Should I be worried?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Depends what you mean "work". You can certainly pile up deep litter on a vinyl floor. It will not compost, but you will still get some of the other benefits of the deep litter system, e.g. reduced labor, less bedding used, etcetera. Don't let it get too dry in winter or it will be dusty.

If by 'work' you mean the litter composting down and producing heat etc, then no, it won't tend to do that on vinyl. HOWEVER you can get some degree of composting to happen if you mix several heaping shovelsful of good garden soil into your bedding. Not soil from a bag -- soil that's been sitting there in the real world for some years, preferably soil with a good amount of organic content to it -- the underneath layer of a finished compost pile would also work. Then make sure it does not get too dry -- composting takes moisture.

Hope this helps,

Pat

 

[sBrickmanHouse]

We use the "deep litter method" on a vinyl covered coop floor.

Patandchickens is right, it definitely doesn't compost and give off heat like it would on a dirt floor, but it still works really well for sanitation and easy maintenance.

We added about 6 inches of pine shavings on top of our lino floor back in February when we moved the chicks in, and we haven't changed them yet. Once a week or so, I take a pitchfork and turn the shavings. Between that and the birds dustbathing in them, it keeps them pretty well mixed up, and allows all the waste to dry.

We have excellent ventilation in the coop, so I'm sure that helps, but the coop has never smelled like anything but sawdust, and the birds are clean, shiny and active. The girls have a good sized run and free range a lot, but the coop itself is definitely way smaller than recommended for the number of birds we have, and the deep litter method does a great job of managing the waste.

I expect we'll have to do a complete change and clean up a couple of times a year, but it sure beats having to do it every couple of weeks!