Deep Litter Method

[dyerchickens]

I am thinking about starting the deep litter method in my coop, so we can have some compost for our garden and lawn, but I have a few questions. Do you just do the litter in the coop or in the run too? and do you have to mix anything with the pine shavings for it to work or just the shavings by themselves. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I only use litter in the coop. I use wood shavings and nothing else. I add a little fresh shavings as needed during the year and clear out the coop in the spring.

In the run, I have sand in the end of the run next to the coop, where nothing is growing. It drains better than the clay soil here, that holds moisture. It also keeps their feet cleaner, when they go into the coop to lay eggs. That keeps the eggs cleaner. Grass is great, but unless you free range, they usually eat it down to the dirt in short order.

 

[chfite]

I use only sand in the run. The chickens turn it over themselves in the normal course of scratching. No need to clean the sand.

The litter in the coop I turn over and add pine shavings to it as needed. Once or twice a year, I shovel it into the compost bin. Biologically, it is not a perfect arrangement. It does decompose just the same.

I don't get perfect compost, but the poop breaks down so that it won't burn plants. That is essentially what you want.

To get normal compost, green material needs to be added to the mix. We don't have any of that here. Everything green gets fed to the chickens. I don't pick up grass clippings.

Chris