Deep litter question!

[cp2894_]

That’s helpful and will make a cool setup for your new chicks. Deep litter works best with a dirt floor mostly due to the moisture needed to work properly. You might want to search the forums for info on deep bedding instead which is similar. It doesn’t really compost without moisture and dirt, so you just periodically throw some fresh shavings in to keep things dry and fresh and clean it out when needed.

Thank you for the advice! Does it have to be cleaned more often than deep litter? I liked the deep litter partially for the convenience

 

[knobhillfarm]

Thank you for the advice! Does it have to be cleaned more often than deep litter? I liked the deep litter partially for the convenience

There is a wide variety of opinions of how often to clean it out and it also depends on the space in the coop versus size of flock. There are some things you can do to lengthen the time between changes such as keeping a poop board under the roosts but that may take away the convenience factor you are looking for. You can throw spent shavings in a compost pile or just toss it out into the run when you think it’s time so it’s not a lot of trouble, especially if you have good access to the coop. I do a partial cleanout of worst areas under roosts weekly and a more thorough cleanout monthly.

 

[NatJ]

"The Deep Litter Method is generally not appropriate during the warmer months, since it does generate quite a bit of heat in the coop which you only want in the winter." -Fresh Eggs Daily Blog

Oh, this page:
https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/02/deep-litter-methodcoop-cleaning.html

I don't think that litter is doing what the poster thinks it is doing.
That material is all dry, and it crumbles and breaks apart into dust, which collects at the lowest level.
But it is not actively composting and giving off heat.
Of course the floor is "warmer" in winter just because it is better insulated, but insulation does not make heat. It just keeps the heat wherever it is (so not a problem in summer either.)

If you want it to actively compost (bacterial action), you need to add water to it. Don't do that indoors

Is there something else you recommend for bedding inside the coop? At least during warmer months?

I think what you were originally planning should be fine, although I might begin with only 2-3 inches rather than 6. You can keep adding bedding, and let it build up, and eventually clean the whole deep pile out once a year or so.

If you get concerned about temperature, stick a thermometer down in the bedding and see what temperature it is, or stick you hand in it to see if it feels hot.

If it DOES get too hot, you can clean it all out and try something else. But I'm pretty sure it will be fine.

One nice thing about chicken bedding: you are not stuck with it forever. If it doesn't work well, just clean it all out into the compost pile and try something else. Or start dumping something else on top of it.

In general, I prefer materials that are in small pieces and can be scratched around by chickens (wood shavings, wood chips, dead leaves, short pieces of hay or straw, etc.) I do not like things that are in long pieces (this often includes hay or straw), because they make a big tangled mat that the chickens have trouble scratching and I have trouble cleaning. I typically prefer a mix of materials, based on what is available free or cheaply at each season.

 

[cp2894_]

There is a wide variety of opinions of how often to clean it out and it also depends on the space in the coop versus size of flock. There are some things you can do to lengthen the time between changes such as keeping a poop board under the roosts but that may take away the convenience factor you are looking for. You can throw spent shavings in a compost pile or just toss it out into the run when you think it’s time so it’s not a lot of trouble, especially if you have good access to the coop. I do a partial cleanout of worst areas under roosts weekly and a more thorough cleanout monthly.

Thank you so much! That's very helpful! I did a bit more reading and I think I'm gonna go with the deep bedding instead of deep litter.

 

[cp2894_]

Oh, this page:
https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/02/deep-litter-methodcoop-cleaning.html

I don't think that litter is doing what the poster thinks it is doing.
That material is all dry, and it crumbles and breaks apart into dust, which collects at the lowest level.
But it is not actively composting and giving off heat.
Of course the floor is "warmer" in winter just because it is better insulated, but insulation does not make heat. It just keeps the heat wherever it is (so not a problem in summer either.)

If you want it to actively compost (bacterial action), you need to add water to it. Don't do that indoors


I think what you were originally planning should be fine, although I might begin with only 2-3 inches rather than 6. You can keep adding bedding, and let it build up, and eventually clean the whole deep pile out once a year or so.

If you get concerned about temperature, stick a thermometer down in the bedding and see what temperature it is, or stick you hand in it to see if it feels hot.

If it DOES get too hot, you can clean it all out and try something else. But I'm pretty sure it will be fine.

One nice thing about chicken bedding: you are not stuck with it forever. If it doesn't work well, just clean it all out into the compost pile and try something else. Or start dumping something else on top of it.

In general, I prefer materials that are in small pieces and can be scratched around by chickens (wood shavings, wood chips, dead leaves, short pieces of hay or straw, etc.) I do not like things that are in long pieces (this often includes hay or straw), because they make a big tangled mat that the chickens have trouble scratching and I have trouble cleaning. I typically prefer a mix of materials, based on what is available free or cheaply at each season.

Thank you so much! This helped a lot. It's been very difficult trying to navigate what's best for a chicken coop.

 

[knobhillfarm]

Thank you so much! That's very helpful! I did a bit more reading and I think I'm gonna go with the deep bedding instead of deep litter.

No problem, you will figure out exactly what works best for you and your setup as you go. Beginning with a couple inches of pine shavings on floor is a good starting point for sure.

 

[gtaus]

Is there something else you recommend for bedding inside the coop? At least during warmer months?

I just ended a months long experiment using paper shreds in my coop during my northern Minnesota winter. Paper shreds are easy to make at home, and lots of people already shred some of their paper anyway. I had very positive results using paper shreds and if you are interested in that option, you might find lots of useful info on that thread.

Using Shredded Paper for Coop Litter - As Good As Wood Chips?

I have also used free wood chips from the county landfill, dried grass clippings, and autumn leaves. I am not afraid to try anything I can resource for free. Nothing wrong with mixing the material together. You don't have to use just one type of litter.

I personally don't use straw, for many years. I found that it would get wet, get moldy, and smell pretty bad. I find the free material I have on my property, or in the house (paper sheds), works better for me than buying bales of straw for bedding.

If you use dry deep bedding, it should not matter if it's summer or winter. The dry deep bedding will not compost and will not generate heat.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Good luck with it! I don’t use deep liter, and have barely read on the topic. So i can’t share any advice.

 

[cp2894_]

Oh, this page:
https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/02/deep-litter-methodcoop-cleaning.html

I don't think that litter is doing what the poster thinks it is doing.
That material is all dry, and it crumbles and breaks apart into dust, which collects at the lowest level.
But it is not actively composting and giving off heat.
Of course the floor is "warmer" in winter just because it is better insulated, but insulation does not make heat. It just keeps the heat wherever it is (so not a problem in summer either.)

If you want it to actively compost (bacterial action), you need to add water to it. Don't do that indoors


I think what you were originally planning should be fine, although I might begin with only 2-3 inches rather than 6. You can keep adding bedding, and let it build up, and eventually clean the whole deep pile out once a year or so.

If you get concerned about temperature, stick a thermometer down in the bedding and see what temperature it is, or stick you hand in it to see if it feels hot.

If it DOES get too hot, you can clean it all out and try something else. But I'm pretty sure it will be fine.

One nice thing about chicken bedding: you are not stuck with it forever. If it doesn't work well, just clean it all out into the compost pile and try something else. Or start dumping something else on top of it.

In general, I prefer materials that are in small pieces and can be scratched around by chickens (wood shavings, wood chips, dead leaves, short pieces of hay or straw, etc.) I do not like things that are in long pieces (this often includes hay or straw), because they make a big tangled mat that the chickens have trouble scratching and I have trouble cleaning. I typically prefer a mix of materials, based on what is available free or cheaply at each season.

One more question, how often do you turn the bedding? I've read something that said everyday but then read something that said every week/couple weeks.

 

[cp2894_]

I just ended a months long experiment using paper shreds in my coop during my northern Minnesota winter. Paper shreds are easy to make at home, and lots of people already shred some of their paper anyway. I had very positive results using paper shreds and if you are interested in that option, you might find lots of useful info on that thread.

Using Shredded Paper for Coop Litter - As Good As Wood Chips?

I have also used free wood chips from the county landfill, dried grass clippings, and autumn leaves. I am not afraid to try anything I can resource for free. Nothing wrong with mixing the material together. You don't have to use just one type of litter.

I personally don't use straw, for many years. I found that it would get wet, get moldy, and smell pretty bad. I find the free material I have on my property, or in the house (paper sheds), works better for me than buying bales of straw for bedding.

If you use dry deep bedding, it should not matter if it's summer or winter. The dry deep bedding will not compost and will not generate heat.

Thank you for sharing that! I'll definitely look into paper bedding. I'm also definitely leaning more towards leaves and dried grass after reading some of these replies.